Love Lessons: Christmas Calendar
by clagjanet
Summary: Lee is finally getting a handle on this holiday thing. A collection of stories, some long, some short, that will count down to Christmas Day. Each chapter can be read alone or as part of the series.
1. We Gather Together

Disclaimer: none of the characters belong to me; they belong to Shoot the Moon Enterprises to whom I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to take them out for a spin and bit of light humour.

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 **A/N:** I'm trying something new here, and I hope you enjoy it. Over the next 25 days, I am going to post 25 seasonal stories as a kind of countdown to Christmas. Each story is standalone, and can be read by itself, or even out of order from the other ones without losing any of the sense. That said, there are little interconnections throughout so they will also stand together as a whole. They range in length from 600 words to 5000, so like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates, you never know what you're going to get! Pretty much everyone gets a word in along the way (except for Fred Fielder - no pie for Fred!) so I hope everyone finds at least one they like.

These could not have been done without the unwavering support of my beta and friend, Lanie, and a few stories in particular might never have left the ground without the superb input of Raizelinplaid, who kept me on the straight and narrow and made some fabulous suggestions.

On with the show!

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 **Thanksgiving, 1987**

Lee leaned back from the table, angling slightly so that he could stretch his legs out to the side. He was blissfully full of turkey, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie – no fighting 400 guys for the dark meat here, not when Carrie and Joe had brought a turkey as well just to make sure that all four boys got a drumstick with no fighting. In fact, between them, Amanda and Carrie had produced enough food to actually satiate both Phillip and Jamie's teenage appetites – they had the same sleepy expression on their faces that he imagined was on his.

"That stuffing was fabulous," Amanda complimented Carrie. "Could you bring it again at Christmas?"

"It's my go-to dish," beamed Carrie. "Old family recipe." She winked at Amanda across the table. "The secret ingredient is Brussels sprouts."

"Yuck! Really?" Phillip asked, with a slightly queasy expression. "I thought it was so good before that!"

"Time you started expanding your tastebuds, Chief," Lee poked him gently with his foot. "It didn't stop tasting good just because you think you don't like something, did it?"

"I guess not," said Phillip. He glanced up at Lee as he was gently kicked again. "Sorry, Carrie," he said promptly, picking up on the hint. "I guess that sounded kinda rude. I really did like it. And I hope we get two turkeys again at Christmas so we can have it again." He eyed Lee, relieved when he was given a quick wink of approval.

"Oh my gosh, you know, I didn't even think when I asked – do you two have plans for Christmas? I mean, I just asked you without even checking if your parents would be back from their cruise by then, Joe."

"They will be, but they already asked if we could do Christmas Eve with them, so if you really want us underfoot on Christmas Day…" Joe let the question trail off.

"Well, of course we do!" said Amanda promptly. "You and the boys can do Christmas Eve with them and then you two can come here the next day. I mean, as long as that's alright with my wife-in-law." She turned to look at Carrie questioningly with a bright smile. There had been much discussion from the boys after Joe's marriage about how everyone was related now and it had been Dotty who'd suggested the term wife-in-law as a shortcut for the two women, reserving the title of Dowager Mother-in Law for herself.

Carrie meanwhile was looking pleased at the invitation. "That would be great," she enthused. "Growing up, I was always jealous of the big families who got to have a nice noisy Christmas like something out of a TV show while I was lighting menorahs and playing with dreidels." She reached over to take Joe's hand. "I expect some effort, Mr. King. You get to impress me with all the Christmas traditions."

Joe looked comically horrified. "Oh Lord. I'm sure I've forgotten half the things you're supposed to do at Christmas after so many years out of the country."

"Well don't look at me," laughed Lee. "I'm still learning the ropes myself."

Amanda and Dotty exchanged a look, half-amused, half-exasperated.

"Well, I'm sure we can teach you a thing or two," remarked Dotty, standing up. "Starting with this one… the youngest members of the family get to clear the table and get started on the dishes. Come on, you two"

"Aww, Grandma!" both boys protested, but cut it short when four sets of parental eyes landed on them with the same expression. They got to their feet, still grumbling slightly but resigned to their fate.

"If you move fast, you won't even miss kick-off," grinned Lee.

With that incentive, the boys began to move more quickly, earning only a few shrieks from Dotty as their enthusiasm endangered the good china.

"I have to admit, this not working on a holiday weekend thing could grow on me," Lee said contentedly, putting his feet up on Philips' recently vacated chair and letting his head drop back and eyes close. "I may just lie on the couch all day tomorrow and not move except to eat leftovers."

"Oh Amanda, Darling, didn't you tell him?" asked Dotty, reappearing in the doorway from the kitchen.

"Tell me what?" asked Lee, all attention now, especially when he heard Joe start to chuckle.

"Oh boy, you're in for it now, Lee," he said with a look of mischief that Lee knew boded no good.

"What does that mean? Amanda? What am I in for?" Lee was back to fully upright now and looking at his wife suspiciously.

"Well, Sweetheart," she began a little too brightly. "You did say you wanted to learn the ropes around Christmas…"

"I'm pretty sure I didn't," he answered, apprehension growing.

Amanda's face lit up with laughter. "Well, you see, tomorrow is when all the Christmas sales start and Mother and I go and try and get as much as we can and the best way to do that is if we have a bodyguard."

"A bodyguard? To go shopping? You're not serious?" Lee looked from face to face and realized with a sinking feeling that they were.

"You see, we do the shopping and you guard the cart," Amanda went on explaining. "In case anyone tries to steal our bargains while we're not looking."

Lee still looked like he didn't quite believe them. "People would steal things out of your cart?"

"Oh yes!" Amanda nodded vigorously. "Black Friday shopping can be cutthroat!"

"Black Friday?" Lee repeated weakly. "It has a name?"

"I'm sure she has my old shin guards in the attic," remarked Joe, helpfully. "Believe me, you'll want them. And steel-toed boots if you have them."

"Really?"

"Really." It was Carrie who answered him this time. "It really can get messy out there sometimes with some of the good deals. Seriously, how are your self-defense skills, Lee?" She turned to look at Joe with concern as he went into a coughing fit to try and hide his laughter, while Amanda sunk her face in her hands to cover her mirth.

"I can hold my own," Lee had been hard-pressed to contain his own laughter at her innocent question. "I've, uh taken a few courses. I think I can probably handle it."

"Well, that's good," Carrie nodded with relief. She glanced at Amanda, almost wistfully. "Would you mind if I tagged along? I don't get to do too much girly things anymore with my family so far away."

"Of course you can!" said Amanda promptly. "The more the merrier!"

"You should probably bring your own bodyguard though," suggested Lee, seizing the opportunity to spread the misery. "Guarding three of you might be too much for one man."

"Good idea," chorused Amanda and Carrie, turning to look at Joe with broad smiles.

"I'll get you for this, Stetson, see if I don't," Joe muttered good-naturedly.

"I'll make sure and dig up those shin pads for you," responded Lee, toasting him.


	2. Black-and-Blue Friday

"I hate you and I am going to get even with you for this, you know that, right?" said Joe in a mild conversational tone. "If you wake up one morning with a radioactive tarantula sitting on your chest, just know that it's from me."

"Radioactive? Really? That seems like overkill," rejoined Lee, cheerfully.

"No, because I want you to suffer," answered Joe. "If Carrie's going, then Joe should come along too and keep me company," he mimicked Lee from the day before. "You realize that this is now going to be a _thing_?"

"A thing?" Lee was pretty sure he didn't like the sounds of that. He straightened up from where he'd been leaning on the back of the shopping cart; Joe didn't bother, if anything he hunched more miserably over his own cart.

"Oh yeah," said Joe, deeply satisfied as he saw that look of uncertainty on Lee's face. "They're having a great time, they managed to sucker us into coming along to help – _both_ of us, thanks to you – and now every year, it's going to be "But Boys, we all had such fun doing all the shopping together last year, and you were soooo helpful." He paused for effect. "And now it's going to be a _tradition_."

"You're kidding."

"I never kid about traditions, Lee. Trust me, we're doomed."

Lee looked around the seething store, filled with Black Friday shoppers and blanched. "I can do this once but every year? Oh hell, no!"

"Well, start practicing being really miserable and grumpy because being a pain in the ass all day today is the only way they won't want us along next time."

Lee shuddered. He'd spent years being grumpy and miserable around Amanda and he was pretty sure she wasn't going to fall for that act anymore. "I'm screwed."

"Yeah, but at least they love us," chuckled Joe. "That makes up for stuff like this, right?"

Lee slouched back over his cart with a groan. "I can't even believe this is necessary – how many Christmas presents do they need to buy that we need to be here at the crack of dawn ready to repel boarders from raiding their shopping carts?"

"Oh, they don't need to buy anything," said Joe, laughing. "If I know Amanda, she's been picking up bits and pieces all year and Dotty's the same. Their shopping is probably all done and they're just hunting for sport now."

"But they have a new recruit, thanks to you," pointed out Lee.

"Well, Carrie won't be a complete novice at this – I mean she has a big family and she would have had to buy a bunch of gifts for them."

"Oh right," answered Lee, nodding. "Eight nights of them right?"

"Yeah," Joe shrugged. "But she says most of the nights you only give little token things and in her family these days, it's just for the kids. She and her brothers and sisters only get each other stuff when they're spending any part of Hanukkah together and even then, it's usually little joke things." He started to grin. "She's pretty excited to get to buy 'real' presents for Phillip and Jamie."

"So you guys are really doing the full Christmas thing?" asked Lee.

"Yeah, but we're doing Hanukkah too," explained Joe. "We've been sort of tossing ideas at each other for how to enjoy both sets of traditions. So Carrie wants a tree, because she thinks they're pretty, but we won't turn the lights on until after the menorah candles have burned out. We're getting the boys Christmas presents but we're taking them to her cousin's house for the eighth night because that's a big deal and they'll get to see those traditions. Best of both worlds, I guess."

"It sounds it," agreed Lee. "I'll just be happy if I survive it without dying of a gingerbread overdose. And if I can think of a good present for Amanda."

"You haven't figured that out yet?" asked Joe.

"No," Lee sighed. "I bought her diamond studs last year – to go with that heart charm she wears all the time, you know?" Joe nodded. "But she doesn't actually wear a lot of jewellery, so I don't want to do that again. And Dotty gets her favorite perfume every year, so that's two of my go-to items off the list."

"Yeah, but you're buying for a wife now, not a girl you're trying to impress – that's a different kettle of fish. Not that you shouldn't be trying to impress, I mean - you just have to do it in a new way."

Lee hadn't been able to help his start of surprise when Joe said 'wife'; it always took him a moment to remember that Joe was the only living soul outside of the Marion Court House who knew they were married. It had been by Amanda's insistence, although he'd understood completely – after her accident in California, it had become more important than ever that at least some legal paperwork was in place. So Joe, as both father and lawyer, had been sworn to secrecy and had helped prepare wills for all three of them as well as guardian paperwork that made it clear that Lee had both responsibility and rights as far as the boys were concerned. Carrie had something similar as their step-mother but since she had no idea about their real jobs, she wasn't privy to all the details – or the secret. Joe and Amanda had agonized over that one for a while before deciding that the safety of ignorance needed to be extended there as well.

"It's different to buy for a wife?" Lee asked, confused.

"Not really," grinned Joe. "But it opens up new possibilities, you know?"

"No, I don't know," confessed Lee. "Some of us have only been married the one time," he added pointedly in an overly virtuous tone.

Joe clutched his heart and laughed at the insult. "Well, you can still go with some of the usual things, like jewellery and lingerie – although maybe don't give her that in front of the boys, right? But Amanda likes practical stuff or family stuff or things for the house. You see what I mean?"

Lee looked at him through narrow eyes. "You're not trying to trick me into buying her Ginsu knives or something, are you?"

Joe chuckled. "God, no! She'd know that was my idea in a heartbeat and get revenge. But honestly? I bet she'd kill for one of those." He pointed over to a display of Cuisinarts. "She used to watch those cooking shows where the chefs all had them and she'd moon over them in the store, but we were young and new parents and there was no way we could afford one."

Lee stared at the display, then back at Joe. "Really?"

"Would I lie about something like that?" grinned Joe.

"Five minutes ago you were threatening me with radioactive spiders – I'm pretty sure giving a woman a kitchen appliance for Christmas is a way faster way to die."

"With any woman but Amanda that would probably be true," conceded Joe. "But look how domestic it would make you look – and you know she'd like it. And they're on sale," he added as a clincher.

Lee lapsed into silence, staring at the rapidly diminishing pile of food processors. "Damn it, how am I supposed to get one as a surprise when she's here with me?"

"Good question." Joe gave it some thought. "Okay, put it in our cart, we'll cover it with my coat so she doesn't see it, and then we can do the same in your cart if I find something for Carrie."

"Wait," Lee started to laugh as he lifted the box into Joe's cart and covered it up. "You still haven't figured that out either? You are way more screwed than me!"

"How do you figure that?" smirked Joe. "Carrie loves jewellery and perfume and all that girly stuff. No problem."

"Yeah, but I only have to buy one gift," Lee pointed out, dropping a sympathetic hand on Joe's shoulder. "You have to buy a Christmas present _and_ eight Hanukkah gifts."

There was silence as Joe took in the significance of Lee's comment, then, "Have I mentioned how much I hate you, Stetson? Especially when you're right?"

"So I should still be watching out for that radioactive spider?"

"No." Joe pretended to glare at him. "You should be watching out for _two_ radioactive spiders!"

"Yeah, I'm not worried about that," said Lee cheerfully, leaning over his own cart again.

"No - are you sure?"

"Yeah - with everything you have to buy Carrie, you can't possibly afford more than one spider."


	3. Blood Relatives

"Stetson." Lee wasn't really paying attention when he answered the phone, deep into trying to figure out his receipts for last month. He was supposed to have had help from Amanda who seemed to understand the paperwork at a cellular level that defied logic, but Francine had snagged her for a good-girl/ bad-hooker routine she was running and he'd been laughingly abandoned to figure it out alone.

"Is this Mr. Stetson? Mr. Lee Stetson?" asked a brusquely professional voice.

"Yes, it is – may I ask who's calling?" he asked, absently trying to read his own handwriting on one of the many scraps of paper littering his desk.

"My name is Leanne Webster – I'm calling from the Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington…"

The receipt fluttered to the floor, forgotten instantly as Lee shot to his feet. "What's happened? Is it Amanda?"

"No, I'm calling in regards to Phillip King – we tried to phone his mother …"

Lee vaguely remembered ignoring the phone ringing on her desk a few minutes ago and swallowed heavily. "She's out of the office at the moment – what's happened? Is he okay?"

"He's fine, just a few stitches but he needs to be picked up by a legal guardian."

"His father…"

"I'm sorry, according to my notes, he told us his father is out of the country? Works in Africa somewhere…" There was the sound of papers rustling. "Es-tock-ia?"

"Estoccia," Lee corrected her automatically. "Excuse me, you said he had stitches? Did he hit his head?"

"My notes say stitches to the chin."

"I'm on my way – but could you have a doctor check him again before I get there? I think he may have a concussion."

"We do check for that, Mr. Stetson. We're not idiots." The woman's voice had turned icy.

"I didn't mean to imply anything else," said Lee, already pulling on his coat. "But since his father has been home from Africa since 1985, you can see why I'm questioning it."

"He has? Then I should call…"

"Don't bother," said Lee. "I'm closer."

"But are you a legal guardian?" Ms. Webster stammered. "We can't just hand him over to anyone." But Lee had already hung up.

Lee was over in Arlington in a matter of minutes, thankful for light traffic on the Parkway. Striding into the emergency room, it was also one of those moments to be thankful that he could flash a badge and walk through the closed doors in search of Phillip. A harried but helpful nurse pointed him to a room at the end of the hall, and he opened the door quietly, heart seizing when he saw him.

Phillip was sitting in a chair, body slouching with his head tipped back against the wall, eyes closed, mouth slightly open. Lee could see the dark stain of stitches across his chin and the discoloration of the bruising that was already visible. Under the fluorescent lights, he looked slightly grey and unnaturally still. But it was the blood that was giving Lee a heart attack - the shirt Phillip was wearing was covered in it, and although Lee knew clinically in some part of his brain that face injuries bleed a lot and that it was nowhere near as bad as it looked, it was still too much like seeing Amanda with that gunshot wound, and the way the blood had spread across her sweater that day.

He realized he was swaying slightly, and reached out to grasp the door frame, closing his eyes to take in a deep breath. He must have made a slight noise because when he opened them, he found Phillip had opened his eyes too and was watching him warily.

"Hey Lee, you ok?"

He had to laugh at that. "Shouldn't I be asking that, Chief? I'm not the one in a hospital room."

"Yeah, but I just cut my chin open – you look like you're going to pass out."

"No, I just… I just really hate hospitals." He walked over and crouched in front of his step-son, looking into his eyes. "How are you? What happened?"

"We were playing road hockey and I slipped on a patch of ice and fell on my chin. Split it wide open."

"How did you get here?" Lee asked, questioning gently, still trying to decide if he had a concussion.

"Mrs. Barton drove me, but she had to go pick up her daughter from ballet, so she couldn't stay. I said I'd call Mom and it would be fine. But then the nurse couldn't get hold of her, so I said to call you instead."

"Did the doctor come back and check you after she talked to me?"

"Yeah, he came and checked my eyes and stuff. How come?"

"Did he say if you have a concussion?"

"He said he didn't think so?"

"Well, then I think I'd better find him to check again," said Lee firmly.

"How come? I feel fine," protested Phillip. "Come on, Lee, can't you just spring me? I wanna go home."

"Well the thing is, Chief… the nurse told me you said your dad was still in Estoccia, and he's been home for two years now. Did you forget?" Lee was now prodding Phillips's head looking for bumps.

"Oh, that," said Phillip, evasively.

Lee drew back and looked at him more closely. "Oh, that? Did you tell them your dad was out of the country on purpose? Why would you do that?"

"Well, see, the thing is… Dad can't stand the sight of blood – he practically passes out when he sees it, so I didn't want to call him when I looked like this."

Lee glanced down at Phillip's shirt and felt his stomach roil again. He closed his eyes and waited for the feeling to pass.

"But maybe you're just as bad?" asked Phillip, uncertainly.

"Not normally," admitted Lee, opening his eyes but keeping his gaze fixed on a point above Phillip's head. "Just with people I care about."

"Oh. Oh!" Phillip's face went from confusion to horror as he connected the dots. "I shouldn't have called you! I'm sorry."

Lee's hand clamped down on his shoulder. "Of course you should have called me! Don't ever worry about doing that!"

"Are you Mr. Stetson?" asked the nurse who had just walked into the examining room.

"Yes, I am," replied Lee, straightening up. "Can I take Phillip home?"

"Yes, right after you sign off on the discharge papers. And of course, only if you're a legal guardian." She looked up from the papers at the silence. "You are, aren't you?"

"I, uh…" Lee cursed himself for not thinking of grabbing the copy of the paperwork from the Q Bureau safe. He gave Phillip a quick glance, wondering how he was going to get out of this, then back at the nurse helplessly.

"He's my step-father," Phillip piped up.

Lee turned to stare at him, jaw dropping open.

"But he's so new at it that he forgets sometimes." Phillip gave him an encouraging nod, then turned to the nurse again. "You wouldn't think he could after my grandma made them have that huge ceremony, but you know what? Just last night, he drove back to his old apartment in D.C., instead of going to our house and then he had to turn around and drive all the way back to Arlington! Mom almost killed him – she'd made soufflé because it's his favourite and then it fell because he was late getting home. I guess that's what they mean by newlywed brain, right, Pops?"

Lee continued to gape at him, trying not to give into the laugh that threatened at Phillip's wide-eyed innocent look.

"Is that right?" asked the nurse, doubtfully. She had the same stunned look from Phillip's rambling story that Lee was pretty certain he'd perfected back in the day.

"Um, yeah, that's right," answered Lee, finally getting his voice back. "Still getting used to it, you know?"

"I don't know…" said the nurse, looking back and forth between them. "I'm supposed to see something official…"

"Well, Phillip's hardly a child and he's just vouched for me, but how about you just take note of my ID and then if there's a problem, you have my details?" said Lee.

She looked back and forth at them again, aware she had an emergency room full of patients and an easy way out to free up some space. "I suppose that might be alright," she conceded.

Lee moved so that he was between Phillip and the nurse, reached into his jacket pocket, then held out his badge to the nurse, who looked up at him with sudden understanding. "Now, can I take him home?"

"Oh! Of course," she nodded, handing him the discharge sheets. "You can see the cashier on the way out to cover the bill."

Lee signed the papers and handed her back the clipboard, then watched her leave, before turning back to Phillip, who was looking faintly sick.

What's the matter? Are you alright? Do you need the doctor to come back?" Lee asked, worried.

"I never thought – I didn't mean for you to have to pay…" said Phillip in a strangled voice. "I should have called Dad."

"Phillip, it's fine. After all, I'm your step-father, right? Gotta get used to having expensive kids," teased Lee, already thinking ahead to how much this story would either amuse Amanda or horrify her at realizing how easily Phillip had just lied – or thought he had - to that nurse. "Consider it your Christmas present."

Phillip actually looked so relieved that Lee finally did start to laugh.

"Chief, I'm kidding! But seriously, don't sweat it – I'll put it through on the IFF insurance, that is, I mean, your mom will, okay?" He waited for Phillip to nod, then held out a hand to help him to his feet. "Then let's get out of here."

Phillip ignored the hand and jumped to his feet, grabbing his equally blood-spattered coat and headed for the door. "You brought the 'Vette, right?"

"Phil-lip Thom-as King! You did not call me instead of your dad just to get a ride in the 'Vette, did you?"

Phillip's look of guilt was enough to set him off laughing again.

"Wow, Lee, you sound exactly like Mom when you say things like that!"

"Well, gotta learn those parent skills from someone right?" answered Lee, guiding him down the hallway to the payment desk. "Since it seems like I might need the practice."

Phillip's pace slowed a smidgen as he looked up at Lee. "You might?"

"Maybe someday," teased Lee.

"Someday?"

"Well, Chief, I'm getting up there, you know. If I want to try being a dad, I better start thinking about it."

"Huh." Phillip waited a moment and then asked tentatively, "Any particular plan for how you might, y'know, try to be a dad?"

"Well, Son, when a man and a woman really love each other…" Lee intoned.

"Gahhhh!" Phillip slammed his hands over his ears. "Lee!"

Lee burst out laughing and dropped his arm across his shoulders. "Come on, let's get you home."


	4. The Age Old Question

Lee found Dotty by following the noises of exasperation coming from the garage.

"Dotty? Are you in here?" he called out, worried when he didn't see her right away in the dim light.

"I'm up here, Lee Dear," said a voice from above his head. Indeed, his mother-in-law was perched up on the half loft, a large box beside her and a tangle of wires in her lap.

"And what on earth are you doing up there?" he asked.

"I thought it would be nice to try and get the outdoor Christmas lights up this year," she answered, as he realized what that was in her lap. "We haven't done much of it for the past few years, but now that everything is settling down a bit in the family, I thought it would be nice to get back to some of the old traditions."

"And that giant display Lydia Pearson has going on down the street wouldn't have anything to do with that thought, would it?" he laughed up at her.

"It might," she dimpled back. "But even though I'm sure we put these back carefully last time, I swear Christmas lights just purposely tangle themselves up when you're not looking. I can't get these sorted out, no matter what I do."

"Well, let me have a try," said Lee, holding up his hands. "Give 'em here." He waited for Dotty to drop the tangled mass into his hands, followed by the box beside her, then turned to offer her his hand to guide her down the ladder, tsking with disapproval. "You could have hurt yourself – you should have asked for help."

Dotty chuckled. "I'm only sixty, Darling – still well within the age where I can climb a ladder without supervision." She reached to pat his cheek. "And I'm also still young enough to appreciate a good looking young man looking after me, so thank you for worrying."

Lee smiled back, feeling again the rush of warmth that he actually got to worry about her openly these days instead of always skulking in the background trying to protect Amanda's family. "My pleasure," he said, completely truthfully. "Now let's see what we can do with these."

Dotty led the way back inside and went to make coffee while Lee started the arduous task of untangling. He began to understand why Dotty had been having problems as the lights themselves kept him from being able to easily pull the string through the knots, and then, as he got more and more untangled, having that much more length to pull through as well.

An hour later, it was finally done – accomplished only with Dotty helping by holding one end, and with lights draped across the sofa and around the chairs so they could see what they were doing, both of them helpless with laughter every time a new knot appeared in sections they swore had already been straightened.

"That was like the worst game of Twister ever," said Lee, collapsing against the kitchen island and swigging the now-lukewarm coffee Dotty had poured him.

"And next we have the worst part," said Dotty eyeing the string of lights with a sigh.

"The worst part? How can putting them up be worse?" asked Lee.

"Oh putting them up isn't next, Lee Dear," she answered, eyes twinkling. "Next we have to find the burnt out bulbs."

Lee tilted his head, not sure what she meant. "Yeah, so? We plug them in, we replace the dead bulbs – what's so terrible about that?"

"How did I know you'd ask that?" Dotty gave a theatrical sigh. "You know so many things, Lee, but you definitely don't know how Christmas lights work."

"I do," said a new voice. Jamie had wandered in the back door, slinging his school backpack on the floor and reaching for the cookie jar. "It's a series current and there's a single fuse and fifty bulbs and each one is only rated for two volts or something, because that's the current spread out across all the bulbs, right?"

Lee nodded, feeling like he might have learned something about this is an Agency bomb-making course years ago, not that he'd volunteer that information, of course. "Okay, so?"

Jamie rolled his eyes, and tried not to look pleased that he knew something Lee didn't. "So the fuse has a built-in safety, so that if one bulb goes, none of them will turn on because then the higher voltage would blow all the other bulbs. Boom!" This last word was accompanied by a spray of cookie crumbs as he made the universal hand gesture for an explosion.

Lee began to get an inkling of the problem. "So if we plug these in now, and they don't come on, we have to check every bulb to find the burnt out one?"

Dotty and Jamie nodded.

"But what if more than one is burnt out?" he asked. "Or what if they're all burnt out?"

"Or what if the wiring is shot?" added Jamie helpfully. "That can happen if they've been sitting kinked up for too long."

"So we might have done all that and they'll still be broken?" he asked ominously. "And you didn't think to mention that?" He glared at Dotty who was trying unsuccessfully to hide her mirth.

"But Lee, that's part of the _fun_ ," she said. "It's a Christmas tradition! You said you wanted to learn those!"

"Again… pretty sure I didn't," he replied, now also having trouble not laughing. He straightened up, stretched as if he was about to run a race and approached the end of the light string. "Okay, men – do your duty." He leaned down and inserted the plug into the socket and… nothing.

There was muffled snorts behind him as he glared at the plug. He turned to find Dotty digging out a box of spare bulbs. "Would you like a fresh pot of coffee?" asked Dotty. "Could be a long day."

It was all worth it, Lee decided later, when Amanda pulled up and he got to see her face when they turned it on as she walked up the path. Her face lit up with a childlike glee as bright as the lights, as she took in all the work they'd done.

"Did you do this?" she asked, knowing how ridiculous that sounded since who else would have, even if Lee hadn't been beaming at her, obviously thrilled at her pleasure at the surprise.

"With a lot of help," he answered, gesturing at the boys who were bouncing with excitement on the doorstep.

"Thank you all so much! It's beautiful!" Amanda gushed. "And I'll be able to look Cheryl on the PTA in the eye again this year!"

Dotty appeared on the doorstep. "Come inside, everyone! I've made cocoa! Amanda, you'll need to get the marshmallows out of hiding."

"I'll be right there, Mother. I just want to enjoy this for a minute longer," Amanda called back.

The boys jostled their way back inside, leaving Lee and Amanda outside alone.

"It really is beautiful," she said softly, wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling into him as he kissed the top of her head. "You must have worked all day on this."

"Well, the worst part was getting them untangled and trying to find the bulbs that weren't working," he admitted. "Your mother said it was tradition but I still think she was yanking my chain about that."

"Oh no, we go through that every time we try and put these up," said Amanda, shaking her head. She sighed and squeezed him a little tighter, head turned so she could gaze at the lights as they cuddled.

For a moment, Lee thought she was shivering when he felt the slight tremor in her body, but a beat later, recognized it for what it was: Amanda trying not to laugh out loud.

"What?" he asked, lips twitching.

"How long did it take you to give up and go the store for new lights?" she asked, giving into the giggles when the guilty expression went across his face.

"About thirty seconds after we plugged them in the first time and they didn't work," Lee admitted, also starting to laugh. "How did you know?"

Amanda reached up to give him a long lingering kiss, before turning to hook her arm through his and lead him toward the house. "Because that's the other part of this Christmas tradition!"

They paused under the doorway, where Dotty had mischievously hung a piece of mistletoe, and kissed again.

"At least we have an answer to the age-old question," said Amanda, thoughtfully.

"And what age-old question would that be?" Lee was already starting to laugh

Amanda looked at him with an overly-innocent expression. "How many spies does it take to change a lightbulb?"

Lee barked out a laugh, then leaned in to whisper in her ear, "We haff ways of making you light up," before goosing her as she passed him to walk inside.

Amanda gave him a knowing look over her shoulder. "Do we? My, oh my, I'll look forward to that."


	5. O Christmas Tree

"Of course you can, Sweet – Joe," Amanda amended herself mid-sentence. Lee had stopped giving her that side-eye thing when she called Joe 'Sweetheart' out of habit, but Carrie had looked positively stunned the first time she'd heard it and Amanda was really trying hard not to do it again.

She glanced over at Lee but he seemed to be deep in his own paperwork and not really listening to her phone call.

"Which day do you need it?" she went on.

"Well if we go Saturday, then we have Saturday night or all day Sunday to decorate it, I guess," Joe answered.

"Well, that sounds like fun. The boys will enjoy that."

"You should see Carrie – she's been buying enough stuff to cover three trees," chuckled Joe.

"Well, I've got a little something for her for the tree when you're done, so make sure the boys have it when you pick up them up."

"Will do. Thanks, Sweetheart!"

Amanda couldn't help chuckling as she heard the groan he gave off right after saying that; it seemed like she wasn't the only one trying to cure themselves of that habit.

Lee looked up as she hung up. "So what did Sweet Joe want?" he teased.

"You heard that, huh?" Amanda wrinkled her nose in a grimace.

"From all the way over here, three feet away?" Lee's eyes were twinkling at her as he got up to cross those three feet and sit on the corner of her desk. He leaned down to kiss her lightly. "And although it doesn't bother me half as much as it used to, thank you for trying to not do that."

"I'm sorry…" she started to say.

"Amanda! You wouldn't be who you are if you weren't the kind of person who can honestly say she still loves her ex, and if you weren't you, I wouldn't love you so much. Okay?" He waited for her to laugh and nod before going on. "So what did Joe want?"

"Oh! He wants to borrow the wagon on the weekend. He and Carrie are taking the boys up to that place that lets you cut down your own tree and his car doesn't have a roof rack."

"Wow, Carrie really is getting into the spirit of the thing, isn't she?" Lee grinned down at her, absent-mindedly playing with her hand.

"Oh well, I think she's doing a little bit for Joe really – she knows he missed a lot of Christmases when he was away and it gives them a chance to do something with the boys."

"And she gets to decorate?"

"Yeah, that's pretty irresistible too," smiled Amanda. "But it's not all one-sided – he's been going to temple with her every Friday when he doesn't have the boys over."

"The things we do for love, hey?"

"All part of being a normal person, Lee."

"Well, I can't argue with that now, can I?"

* * *

"Oh hey Lee, I wasn't expecting you to be here. I mean… I don't mean..."

Lee gave him a grin as Joe tried to dig himself out of that conversational hole. "It's okay, Joe. I actually wasn't supposed to be here, but Amanda went to help out with something for the sets for the school play, so I said I'd meet you here to give you the keys."

"Oh well, thank you. Are the boys ready to go?" The words were barely out of his mouth when Phillip and Jamie came thundering down the stairs.

"Got your toothbrushes?" Lee asked automatically.

The boys exchanged guilty looks and all the adults shared a knowing smile.

"Don't worry, Lee – I picked some up last time I was shopping. No more excuses," said Carrie, shaking a warning finger at the boys.

"You're catching on," teased Lee. "Took me way longer to start keeping stuff like that at my place."

The identical smirks he got from Joe and Carrie told him he'd walked into that one. "For the boys," he added, laughing along as he blushed.

"Well, who else would you have them for?" asked Phillip, straight-faced. "Do you have a lot of friends with teeth problems, Lee?"

"So Lee, what are you up to today?" asked Carrie, skillfully interrupting Phillip's line of questioning.

"Oh I'm just going to hang out here. Amanda has my car so I figured I'd just catch up on my reading until she gets home."

"Why don't you come with us?" asked Carrie, impulsively. "I mean, if you want to," she added uncertainly as both men looked at her in surprise. "It'll be fun."

"Well, that's kind of you," Lee started to say, but was interrupted by Jamie.

"Yeah, if you come, we can get a really big real tree for the house, like we used to when we were little!" he said excitedly and then Phillip added the clinching argument: "Mom would _love_ it! Please?"

"I don't think so, guys. This is supposed to be your time with your dad."

"He doesn't mind, do you, Dad? Please Lee?"

Lee looked over at Joe, who grinned and shrugged. "I know when I'm outgunned, Lee – and I won't lie, it'll be nice to have someone extra along who can actually help lift the damn thing onto the roof!"

"Well, how can I resist an offer like that?" Lee grinned. He looked at the boys. "Okay," he gave in. "Lemme grab my coat."

* * *

"Now I'm really glad we brought you along," laughed Joe as Carrie made Lee stop beside yet another tree. "You're the perfect yardstick for knowing what's going to fit in a room with an eight foot ceiling."

"Glad to be of service," Lee gave him a mock salute as Carrie nudged him closer to the tree and stood back to look at him thoughtfully.

"That should be good," she said with satisfaction. "We should start small the first year and practice before we get a big tree next year."

"Or a fake one," teased Joe. "You wait until you're trying to get rid of all the dropped needles for months afterwards."

"Joseph King, don't you rain on my Christmas parade" scolded his wife. "Dropped needles are part of the experience!"

"Yes Dear, No Dear," answered Joe, leaning into kiss her cheek. "Sorry Dear." The wink he gave Lee suggested he wasn't all that sorry. "Okay Phillip, you grab that saw and start working on this one while Jamie helps Lee find one for your house."

"I've already spotted one," said Jamie enthusiastically. "Come on, Lee!"

He led him a few rows over to where he'd found what Lee had to admit looked like a perfect tree. He eyed it up – it seemed to be about a foot taller than him, so it should fit, if Joe was right about eight foot ceilings. "Yeah, okay, you go grab the other saw and you can do the dirty work while I supervise."

Jamie was gone and back in a blink, with an energy level Lee could only admire and attempt to recall from his youth. It wasn't until Jamie was halfway through the trunk as Lee held it steady that a question occurred to him.

"Um, Jamie? How come your mom stopped getting a real tree? Was it the mess and stuff that your dad talked about? Because maybe this isn't a good idea."

Jamie shimmied back out from under the low boughs and leaned back on his elbows, looking up at Lee. "Nah, it was because of Dad, I think – or not Dad, I guess." He pushed his glasses back into place and wrinkled his nose. "Most of the years Dad was away, we were really little, and it was just Mom and Grandma – and it was a lot of work, I think, so she just got the fake one because it was easier." He wriggled back under the tree but kept talking as he continued to saw. "We managed to talk her into a real one a few years ago back when she was dating this guy named Dan - no, wait, it was Dean, not Dan. I get mixed up – he wasn't around for long. Anyway, we asked if we could come out and cut down a real tree and you know what he said?" Jamie leaned back out from under the tree and looked at Lee indignantly. "He gave us this whole speech about how trees cleaned the atmosphere and we shouldn't be cutting them down because they were good for the climate!" he shook his head in disgust. "As if they weren't being grown in places like this just to be cut down anyway! I think he just didn't want to have to pay for it because he knew Mom couldn't. In the end, Mom got one from the tree lot at the grocery store but it was only a medium sized one. I mean, it was nice and everything but this one is going to be _awesome_."

Lee grimaced, remembering exactly how often Amanda had been strapped for cash when they'd first met – and what a hardship it had been when she'd missed a paycheque or had two payments due at once. Or had her accounts frozen when the bank thought she was dead. He shook his head - she had almost certainly done without the expense of a real tree if it meant getting the boys the items on their Santa list.

"Right then, let's get this sucker down," he said. "Your mom needs a real tree."

* * *

Thank goodness Amanda had been roped into helping stage manage the play as well since TV shows had certainly misled Lee on the inherent difficulties of putting up a tree in a small space like the family room. It had only been luck that Joe had remembered as they drove back into town that he didn't have a tree stand, and with no idea if Amanda still had one, Lee had followed him into the hardware store to get one as well. The boys and Joe had been a godsend as well, helping manhandle it into the family room but that was when they'd discovered that the stand added height to the tree, and once installed the tree top bent sideways along the ceiling.

Down it had come again, while they sawed off some of the lower branches and part of the stump before trying again, all of them heaving a sigh of relief when it fit on the second attempt.

"Don't forget to put water in the base!" shouted Jamie helpfully grinning at Lee over his shoulder as he followed everyone else back out to Joe's car. "That's what keeps the needles from falling off!" He stopped before he got in the car to add "And don't decorate until we get home! There's rules!"

"There's rules?" Lee repeated. "For tree trimming?"

"Yeah, Mom'll tell you all about it. See you tomorrow!"

"Okay," said Lee doubtfully.

And so it was that when Amanda came home, it was to a dark family room, although she was pretty sure Lee was somewhere in the house.

She stepped into the house, and paused to listen carefully – she hadn't been around spies this long without learning that a quiet house when it wasn't supposed to be was usually a bad thing. "Lee?" she called out quietly and hardly was the word out of her mouth when the room lit up with the twinkling lights on a huge tree in the corner of the family room.

"Oh my gosh!"

"You like it?" Lee stepped out from where he'd been hiding behind the tree. "I was told I wasn't allowed to do any decorating but I thought maybe lights wouldn't count."

"Oh Sweetheart, it's beautiful! How on earth…?" Amanda stared at it raptly as Lee walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to lean back against his chest.

"I was dragged along to the tree lot by the boys. I _think_ Jamie may be trying to take advantage of having divorced parents," Lee's chuckle against her hair took the sting out of the comment, "But I thought it was a pretty good idea."

"It was a wonderful idea," breathed Amanda. "I haven't had a proper big real tree for… years." Her voice was a bit scratchy like she might be about to cry.

"So I hear," said Lee. "But they waited until after we had it set up to tell me there's rules for this. Is this some kind of normal people thing again?" He sounded suspicious. "Are there really rules for decorating a tree?"

Amanda's laugh gurgled out, almost cancelling out the threat of tears. "Not real rules, just family rules, traditions I guess you'd call them." She reached out to run her fingers along the bough tips. "Which decorations go on first or last…how everyone gets to put their favorite ones on… kinda silly stuff, I guess."

"Nah," Lee murmured into her ear. "It sounds nice."

"It is nice," she agreed, turning within the circle of his arms to pull his head down for a kiss. "But the nicest part of family traditions is adding new ones."

"Mmmmm, well, if we're not allowed to decorate it and we have the house to ourselves… I can think of a tradition we could start right now. But you're a little overdressed." Lee's voice was husky and warm as his hands began to slide her winter coat off.

"Oh, I think I like the sounds of this new tradition," Amanda smiled against his lips. "Is that a branch in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

"Oh, I'm always happy to see you," purred Lee, dimpling as Amanda let him pull her down onto the sofa. "But I'm pretty sure I could be happier."


	6. It's the Berries

"This is like something out of an old-timey movie," said Lee, carefully threading the needle through a piece of popcorn. "I honestly never thought people did this in real life."

Amanda ruffled his hair as she walked past with a bowl of fresh popcorn. "Normal people, Lee. We really truly do this stuff."

"I thought it was normal people who bought all that tinsel stuff I see in the stores," he replied.

"Oh, we'll have some of that too – but that's part of the decorating the boys will do later."

"And this isn't?"

"Well, we're not going to put this on the tree just yet. We'll just get it ready for when they get home." She grinned as she sat down at the opposite end of the sofa and tangled her feet with his. "Usually I end up doing this by myself because the boys think it's bo-ring."

"It is boring," complained Lee, jokingly. "And – ouch! – painful!" He stuck his finger in his mouth and sucked where he'd just jabbed himself with the needle.

"Step-by-step precision is crucial – you need to be more careful," Amanda teased him, pulling his hand over to check the damage and bestow a light kiss on it. "There ya go – all better."

"You know what would really make it feel better?" he growled seductively.

"Yes, I do," she answered, her voice husky with meaning, as she began interspersing light kisses along his fingertips with her words. "And I… also… know… that my mother will be back any minute," she finished with a slight bite on the last finger.

"You're probably right… So we should probably take this upstairs so as not offend her tender sensibilities. A.S.A.P"

"You are incorrigible!" grinned Amanda. "And I don't think my mother has any sensibilities – tender or otherwise."

"Maybe not, but your mother thinks I'm wonderful – and don't tell me she doesn't know exactly what we get up to when we're alone– and I think she'd approve of you attending to your… needs." Lee had moved slowly forward, forcing Amanda to lie back along the sofa, both of them laughing. He pressed his lips against hers, giving off a happy rumbling sound as her mouth opened under his with a sigh. Her hand came up and pressed against his chest as she drew back for breath.

"You know… what I really… really… need…" she whispered, suddenly pressing harder, "Is to get this garland done before the boys get home!" She wriggled out from under him to sit up on the edge of the cushions, and reached for a handful of cranberries.

Lee flopped down with a theatrical groan behind her. "A-man-da!" he whined, wrapping his arms around her waist and snuggling in, face pressed against her side.

"You wanted to be like normal people, Lee, and normal people worry about their mother walking in on them while they're seeing to their needs," she chuckled.

Lee sat up with another groan and resignedly picked up the needle and long thread where he'd dropped it during the aborted seduction and reached into the bowl of berries. He held up a berry and studied it carefully. "You know, I kind of always thought cranberries just came in a can full of jelly," he said.

"Well, if you're Francine, they probably do," she laughed. "But I'll use the ones we don't use today to make homemade jelly to go with the turkey."

"Of course you will. But how come you only ever see them in juice or jelly? How come there's not peanut butter and cranberry jelly sandwiches, or cranberry pies or cranberry shortcake? I mean they're a fruit, right?"

As he finished speaking, and before Amanda could stop him, he popped the berry in his mouth and bit down. Amanda couldn't contain her peal of laughter as Lee's face screwed up and his eyes filled with tears as the sourness took over his taste buds.

"That's why," she finally managed to splutter out, as Lee began spitting it out into a tissue he grabbed from a nearby box.

"Oh, that's just… ugh," he whined.

"I wish you could have seen your face just now," she finally managed to get her voice under control.

"Wanna kiss that better too?" he said, grabbing her playfully.

She let him drag her onto his lap this time, sliding her tongue along his lips, tasting the remnants of the sour berry and deepening the kiss until they had to break apart to breathe.

"Oh, that's much better," said Lee. "It just needed a bit of sugar."

"I thought you didn't like sugar," teased Amanda.

"What can I say? I've developed a sweet tooth," he answered. "A very specific sweet tooth that only likes one thing…"

Amanda shivered as his hands worked their way under her shirt and his fingers ran lightly down her ribs. "You know," she gasped, "I think you're right."

"About which part?"

"We should take this upstairs. A.S.A.P."


	7. A Scarecrow in a Pear Tree

"You know, it's been years since I've come down to see the White House Christmas tree lighting," said Dotty as they joined the throng of people making their way down the Mall toward the Ellipse. "I guess it's handy to have government contacts when it comes to tickets for things like this."

"You came with us at least once when the boys were tiny," replied Amanda. "But it wasn't for the opening ceremony, I think. Didn't we just come down to look at it?"

"Oh yes! And it was so cold that we swore we'd never come again," laughed Dotty.

"That's right," Amanda chuckled. "We bought hot chocolate for the boys and Phillip tried to stick his whole hand into it to get his fingers warm."

"Did it work?" asked Lee, tousling Phillip's hair as they walked.

"No, because then he licked it all off and then he had a wet sticky hand that was even colder and he'd spilled most of his drink!"

"Gee, Mom, that's not an embarrassing story at all," commented Jamie. "Thanks for sharing."

"Shut up, Ralphie," muttered Phillip.

"I'd rather be Ralphie than Flick," answered Jamie, barely rising to the bait. "At least I still have all my taste buds, unlike some people."

"We'll watch it later," Amanda said, seeing Lee's look of confusion. "It's tradition – you'll understand then."

"Another tradition?" Lee shook his head with a laugh. "How do normal people remember all these things?"

"Is there a bigger crowd than normal or has something happened?" Dotty craned her neck to see as the mass of people in front of them slowed almost to a stop.

"No, it's all the security barricades," answered Lee, who could see better over all the heads with the advantage of height. "They're making everyone slow down to get through."

"Why ever would a Christmas tree need security?" asked Dotty. "It's not like the President is even going to be here – they said he was lighting it from the White House portico again this year."

"It's not security for the tree, Mother," Amanda explained. "They just have it all set up for tomorrow because Mr. Gorbachev is arriving. That's why the ceremony is so early this year – they wanted to have it lit before his summit visit."

"If they wanted him to see it, how come didn't they wait for him to get here so he could do the lighting, Mom?" Jamie asked.

The adults exchanged a speaking look. "That's a good question, Sweetheart – probably because the Soviet Union doesn't celebrate Christmas and they don't want to embarrass him."

"Huh. Not getting to have Christmas must suck."

As the boys pushed ahead, Lee reached over to lace his fingers with Amanda's. "This is nice – it's good to have a bit of down time before the next few days."

Amanda gave a quick glance to make sure Dotty was far enough ahead to be out of earshot. "Well, at least we're not too heavily involved in summit security. If I never have to read another file about dissidents that may or may not be in the DC area, it'll be too soon."

"I hear ya," agreed Lee. "I thought Spring Cleaning was bad, but my eyes have gone buggy from going over that many hours of video of the Arrivals area at Dulles."

"We won't get dragged into anything active, will we?" asked Amanda, slightly worried. "I have so many things left to do to get ready for Christmas, I just want everything to stay calm this year."

"No nests of killers, Amanda? Are you losing your sense of adventure?" he teased.

"Hey, you promised no spies, no killers, and no Grinches this year!" she retorted. "I have a house full of people coming for Christmas Day and no way do I want to spend it tied up somewhere!"

Are you sure?" Lee gave her a light hip check as they walked. "Done correctly, it can be a lot of fun as I recall."

"Why else do you think I keep all those scarves you've given me?" Amanda hip checked him back as he laughed. "But this year you're on duty as a member of the family and nothing else, capisce?"

"Capisce," he agreed. "Jamie, Phillip!" he called out to them as they pressed ahead of the adults. "Make for that food cart over there!"

"You cannot possibly be hungry again! We just ate dinner!" exclaimed Dotty.

"No, but I can see a sign that says he has hot apple cider and who doesn't want a warm drink with their tree lighting?"

Dotty and Amanda agreed with enthusiasm and the family made their way to the cart. Lee was right – unlike most of the vendors lining the streets nearby, this one had made an effort to get into the holiday spirit, offering apple cider, hot chocolate and soft gingerbread cookies kept warm suspended in a mesh basket above the steamer section where he would normally have hot dogs.

"Well, this is just lovely!" Amanda complimented him. "This is so different from the normal things you find at events like this!"

"Thank you, Madam," said the vendor, bowing slightly. "I hoped bringing something unique would make me stand out."

"Well, you certainly got my attention," added Lee. "This warm gingerbread reminds me of the Christmas markets in Germany."

The vendor beamed. "Well, that is where I am from originally! I hope you will enjoy it!"

"I'm sure we will," replied Amanda with a friendly smile, as she passed out the drinks and cookies to her family, then turned back to collect extra napkins. It was that slight delay that meant she was still standing by the cart when the next customer stepped up.

" _Dobriy vyecher"_ he began. " _U vas yest' dokumenty_?"

Amanda sighed. To almost anyone else, it would have sounded like a simple question about the menu, but as Lee had once told Beaman, she'd been around enough bad guys to know Russian when she heard it. She paused as if she was looking for something else among the cream and sugar and surveyed the man out of the corner of her eye. The vendor had completely changed demeanor after he'd been spoken to, glancing around nervously as if afraid they might be being watched. She definitely didn't know the vendor but the customer was familiar enough – Andrei Sapovsky, a known Russian agitator, and a face she'd studied in more than one file in the last few weeks leading up to this summit.

She turned and made sure her family was far enough ahead of them before calling out in a light voice. "Oh Sweetheart! Honestly, with your hair sticking up like that, you look just like a scarecrow!"

Lee paused mid-step and stiffened, before casually turning around as if he was looking for her. She gazed back blandly, pointing casually to the man next to her as she pretended to adjust her gloves. She could see the same look of resignation go across Lee's face at the seemingly inevitable interruption to their family time – he recognized Sapovsky as well.

"Need help carrying anything, Darling?" he asked, walking back toward the cart.

"Oh, no, just getting extra napkins. You know how messy the boys get with food. Remember that time at Milo's?" she said brightly.

Lee nodded his understanding. _Sapovsky is getting something passed to him with his food_. He watched with appreciation as Amanda stepped forward and pretended to trip, falling against Sapovsky as he turned away from the cart with his order.

"Oh my Gosh! I am so sorry!" she exclaimed as she sent him reeling back against Lee. She began dabbing at him with her fistful of napkins. "I'm so, _so_ sorry – my foot just got caught on a tuft of grass and now your drink has spilled on you! Oh, and your cookie too! Please let me buy you a new one!" she said holding out the cookie and its mass of napkins.

"Nyet! No! Is fine!" he muttered. "I do not mind." He snatched it from her and hurried off into the darkness, lost almost instantly in the crowd.

"Did you get it?" Amanda asked almost conversationally as they turned to walk to where the family was waiting.

"Yeah, safe in my pocket. I only caught a glimpse but I think it's a map of all the security routes for the motorcades tomorrow," replied Lee, smiling down at her. "I'll make an excuse for why we have to drop into work for five minutes on our way home and give it to the guys on duty."

"Should we have let him leave? Maybe one of us should follow him."

Lee shrugged and shook his head. "Nah, the tree lighting is going to start in a minute or two and that's what we came to enjoy. And we intercepted the drop and that's what matters. Besides, he'll probably come back here as soon as he realizes he's lost it somewhere so I'll just alert one of the Park Police to call our guys and they can pick him up."

"Thank you, Sweetheart."

Lee lifted an eyebrow inquiringly.

"Thank you for not letting this interfere with our evening with our family." She tugged his arm until he leaned down to kiss her.

"Our family – I like the sound of that," he smiled, before leaning in again.

"Oh, come on you two!" Jamie shouted, while Phillip made kissing sounds loudly. "You're going to miss the whole thing! It's going to be the 4th of July fireworks all over again!"

"You sure about that?" Amanda teased as they broke apart and turned to join the family.

Dotty reached out to link her arm with Lee's as they approached and pulled him in close for warmth. "That's better," she beamed.

Lee gave Amanda a sideways grin. "I'm sure."


	8. Friends and Family Discount

Francine took a deep breath to settle herself, lifted the gun to aim and then oh-so-carefully shot him right between the eyes. "There you go, you son of a bitch. Merry Christmas."

She pressed the button to bring the paper target back up the track toward her, feeling the wave of satisfaction at the tiny circle of holes through the dead center of the silhouette's chest and that last one, straight through the head. She pulled off her ear protection, carefully stored her weapon and turned away from the range. "Couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

"Is that any guy in particular or just guys in general?" asked Efraim from the next firing station over as he finished his own gun check, applied the safety and holstered it.

"One in particular, but he's predisposing me to hate all the rest of you," admitted Francine in clipped tones.

"Anyone I know?"

"Jonathan Stone."

Efraim gave a long sympathetic whistle. He knew that her past was a sore point and although he disliked Stone on her behalf, he was secretly grateful for the implosion of that relationship because of the way it had led in the most roundabout way to the easy friendship he had with Francine now.

He'd been in over his head a little bit last spring with all the paperwork after shooting Kleiner, with Internal Affairs all over why he'd been the one with the kill shot when he was the most junior agent in the field and while cursing yet another form and wondering why he'd ever agreed to help on that job, Francine had walked by, and stopped to see why he'd just let fly with an expletive. That in turn had led to her helping him with the wording – because, as she said, long years working with Stetson had given her a fine-tuned sense of how to make things sound right to IA – and from there to a drink at Ned's because she said she owed him one for helping Lee figure out where Brody had her.

Not a real drink for him, of course – she had a glass of white wine and he had what she'd laughingly referred to as a virgin Long Island Iced Tea. Without the false bravado provided by liquor, he'd waited until she was into her second glass before asking tentatively why she was even there and not on a plane to Paris with Stone or wherever it was they were supposed to jet off to.

After eyeing him for a moment, trying to decide if he was genuinely interested or simply looking for gossip, she'd admitted that she and Jonathan had never even made it to the airport. The fight over whether she'd remain in a job that had almost proved fatal had blown up while they were packing for the trip and she'd realized that this particular leopard hadn't really changed his spots at all. And so, Stone had vanished as quickly as he'd reappeared and somewhere along the line, to the amusement of most of the Agency, he and Francine had become friends. Not friends like Lee and Amanda were 'friends' but still a better balance than when he'd acted like an idiot boy with a crush on the head cheerleader. Even if she did still give him a hard time about that day he'd hit on her in the Q Bureau, that teasing was a small price to pay to get to spend time basking in her presence.

"Stone's back?" he asked, trying to sound well, not uninterested but at least unruffled. The fact she was angry and taking it out on defenseless targets seemed hopeful.

"Yep," she answered. "But I shouldn't be talking about him with a weapon in my hand. Wanna hit Ned's for lunch and help me drink to forget?"

"Sure," he shrugged as if his entire insides hadn't just done somersaults the way they still did every time Francine talked to him like a sane human being. "But only because it sounds like you'll need someone to point you back at the office after that."

"And away from a lethal weapon? Good call," she laughed, bitterly.

Ensconced in a bench seat at the back of the bar an hour later, she'd finally stopped fuming long enough to tell him about it.

"Out of the blue, there he is on the phone. 'Francine, Darling, I'm back from Europe, I miss you, I want another chance – and what better time of year for another chance than Christmas?' she ground out, gripping her glass.

"He wants to get back together?" The somersaulting insides had now settled down into a queasy heavy mass.

"Well, that's how he started," she went on. "How Christmas is such a great time for renewal and reconnection – time with your family and friends – and relaxing vacations to really decompress and get to know each other – all that bull crap."

"You don't think he meant it?"

"Oh no. I was already suspicious since he used to be such a workaholic that he could barely stand to be away from the office for a weekend, let alone a long vacation. And then he showed his hand."

"I'm afraid to ask," he quipped. "It must have been good if you wanted to shoot a virtual version of him that many times."

"He started in with 'How are your parents? Still out west? Does retirement suit your dad? I bet he can't keep his nose out of all the old business, right?'" she mimicked Jonathan's apparently innocent queries.

"Your dad was an investment banker, right?"

Francine nodded. "Venture capitalist with a special interest in European markets."

"So you think this was less about reconnecting with you…"

"And connecting with my father's money? Oh yeah." She glared at the drink in her hand. "He wasn't even subtle so he must be desperate. I think it may be time to have my contacts check into the state of his finances again before I end up involved in another international incident."

"I can start pulling up some stuff on the computer tomorrow if you want," he offered. "The good thing about having an ex with a sketchy past is that Personnel is less likely to come after you for 'misuse of Agency resources' when you check up on them."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate that." She paused, staring off into space for a moment. "You know what really pisses me off? That he _knows_ how hard I've tried to keep my work life separate from my parents, to protect them from any danger my job might bring down on them – and then he swings in as a completely new source of risk to them, and thinks Christmas is a great time for that to boot! I mean, I barely get to spend enough time with them now that they're so far away… Even if I was going to see them this year, I wouldn't have brought him along to ruin it with work talk!"

"You're not seeing your parents this year? They can't be happy about that." He knew his own parents would be miserable if they didn't get to see him and his brothers at least one night over Hanukkah.

"Well, they understand that it's not the best time of year to travel, what with the crowds and worrying about bad weather, but I'm going to take some vacation time in January and go out for a proper visit."

"But it won't be the same," he commented, seeing the look in her eye.

"No," she admitted. "It was always just the three of us, so I'm used to a quiet Christmas, you know? But there's something a little bit magic about the day, waking up to the Christmas stocking. And yeah, my mother still does one for me if I'm home," she interpreted the smile spreading across his face and answered him before he could even ask. "And it was always the one day of the year when it was really truly just us – no calls from the office for Daddy, no bridge games for my mother… it was nice. I can remember once, I must have been about six, and we spent the holidays up at house in Maine that had a stable. We woke up to a huge fresh fall of snow and it turned out Daddy had arranged a sleigh ride for us. It was just the three of us snuggled together under a fur rug and the sound of the bells on the horse jingling, the smell of the pines trees, and the whisper of the wind in my ears... My nose must have been as red as Rudolph's by the time we got back. When we got back, there was a crackling fire and we had fresh hot chocolate with marshmallows and spent the entire afternoon playing board games. I think that was my favorite Christmas ever."

Efraim gave a long chuckle. "Even if that story didn't just remind me of a Rockwell painting and what a complete WASP you are..." he paused to acknowledge her smile, "I can't even begin to imagine a quiet house," he remarked. "I'm the youngest of five boys – talk about noisy."

"Five boys? Your poor mother!" she teased.

"My mother is the most amazing woman I have ever known – and I'm sorry, but that even includes you," he smiled at her across the table. "I've never met anyone with more optimism and joy for living, even with everything she and Poppa went through when they were young." A shadow crossed his face, unmistakeable in its meaning.

Francine leaned across and rested her hand on his, squeezing gently. "Tell me about them. Is it good to be the baby with that many in the family?"

"It had its moments," he was grateful for the change in topic. "The two right above me are twins, and they ganged up on me a bit, but Ben – he's the second one – he and I are close and he kept them from terrorizing me too much. Him and my oldest brother, they're both married with kids - all boys! What my mother wouldn't give for just one little girl to get to dress up and play with – I pity the daughter-in-law who ever gives her a granddaughter – she'll never see that child." His eyes lit up with laughter. "Our family pets were always female – she said she needed at least one person on her side in the house."

"What do they all do?" Even if she hadn't been genuinely interested, Francine was grateful for her interrogation training – it was rare that Efraim was this relaxed around her; she felt like she'd found the magic word to get inside his brain.

"Oh the usual successful things. Two doctors, a lawyer – every Jewish mother's dream."

"Wow, that must make your parents happy," she teased him. "What about the fourth one?"

"Caleb? He's up on the Hill – a behind the scenes guy." Efraim's face hardened a little – she could tell he didn't like this brother quite as much. "He's got his fingers in most bills up there – and when he's not doing that, he's the Beaman family version of Scarecrow, a different beautiful girl on his arm every night and all the best parties."

"The old Scarecrow," Francine corrected him absent-mindedly.

"Definitely the old Scarecrow," he agreed, momentarily distracted. "Although the new one still has the beautiful woman part down. Do they really think they're fooling anyone?"

Francine smiled to herself, thinking of the conversation she'd had with Lee not even half an hour before. "Well, they know they're not fooling me or Billy, but they do seem to at least try not to be obvious at work. On the other hand , I know her family's met him – he's over there all the time."

"Do you think the family knows what they really do for a living?"

"I doubt it – Amanda honed that filmmaker cover for a lot of years so they can stick with it for now. What about your family? Do they know what you do?"

"Yeah – I'm the total black sheep in the family. Intelligence work with a government job – such a disappointment," he laughed with the faintest trace of wry humor.

"I'm sure that's not true." She wasn't actually certain that it wasn't but he looked like he needed the encouragement.

"Well, either way, they think I'm just a big nerd who does stuff in a basement somewhere with computers so I don't have to talk to women – my brothers would never believe I know someone like you, let alone that I'm ever in the field."

"Well, you must have brought a girl home at some point, right?"

He gave her a pained look. "Oh please. I went through school as Caleb Beaman's younger brother – even his identical twin paled by comparison as far as the girls were concerned. Do you seriously think I ever brought a girl home with him there? The only reason any girl even talked to me was to get to him – and the jerk knew it."

"You should introduce me to him sometime – I'll beat him up for you," she teased.

"That is so tempting," he laughed. "Except I avoid him outside of family stuff."

"Well, take me to Sunday dinner sometime. It'll be fun," she offered without thinking.

There was a long pause and then Efraim asked carefully, "Would you like to? Come to family dinner, I mean? I think my mother would really like you." He started to backtrack at her stunned expression. "I don't mean as a date or anything, it's just… I don't get to share a lot of my life with them, you know? Ma's always asking about if I have friends at work – she worries I'm just alone with the computer all the time, I think."

She couldn't resist the puppy dog eyes. "Of course, I'd come meet your family. But only if you pick a night where the jerk brother is there so I can torture him a little bit."

"Well, the next time that'll happen is Hanukkah and I can't expose you to that – everyone's home for the last night and it's a zoo."

She put on her haughtiest expression. "Efraim Beaman, I'm a fully trained lethal professional – are you suggesting that I'm afraid of your family? Oh no, you're going to invite me and what's more, we're going to tell them we're dating. Consider it your Christmas present from me… well, no, your Hanukkah present, I guess."

He tilted his head and studied her, unsure if she was being serious, and she met his gaze with a cool look of her own.

"Chicken?" she asked.

"Nope," he answered finally. "Just trying to decide how I can get seven more presents like that."


	9. A Christmas Carol

If you read yesterday's story, this one is same day, different angle.

* * *

For once, knowing that Amanda had taken the day off to do something or other to do with boys or schools or her mother or, well, who knows what – something housewifey, just _for once_ Francine had felt like it was safe to walk into the Q Bureau without knocking, realizing as she did that Lee was on the phone, back to the door, spinning a small jewelry box in his hand.

"It's perfect, I'm sure she'll love it. Yep, diamonds and sapphires in the shape of her initial – it's almost as beautiful as she is."

She'd given a small smile and didn't say a word at first, certain she'd hear something she could use to tease him with later. It wasn't eavesdropping per se, after all – he was in a shared office, and he hadn't locked the door… and a spy as experienced as Scarecrow deserved to get snuck up on occasionally. She recognized the box design – it was from Montreux Jewelers right here in Georgetown – subtle, unique and very _very_ pricey.

"Yes, I think it's safe to say it's more than your usual gift from Santa. It's the best kind of present – the kind that makes her happy and then she makes you happy," Lee laughed. "Roaring fire, nice glass of wine, jewelry… it's the timeless combination."

Just at that moment, Lee had spun slowly back around, almost jumping out of his skin when he'd seen her in the doorway. "I gotta go. Someone just walked in. So dinner Tuesday? Yeah, looking forward to it, see you then. Bye." He hung up quickly and blew out a huffy breath. "It's not nice to sneak up on people, Francine."

"I was hardly sneaking, Stetson – you're just losing your touch, Old Man." She walked further into the room, stopping in front of his desk. "What you got there, Lee?" she pretended to have just noticed the box in his hand. "Something for me? You really shouldn't have."

"No, no," he answered, looking far more ruffled than he should have at being caught. "Just a little something for someone… that you don't know." He had stood up and was moving to tuck it away in his jacket pocket.

"Well, that sounds positively intriguing – let me see." She'd reached over to pluck it out of his hand, surprised when he tried to snatch it back.

"Lee Stetson, you know perfectly well that I know you bought this for Amanda and you also know I'm not one to spoil surprises," she said, holding it away out of his reach. "I just want a sneak peek is all."

"No! It's not-!"

He paused as she flipped open the box and looked at the contents, an initial brooch made of diamonds, then back up at him with flinty eyes.

"Not what you think," he finished feebly.

"Not what I think? What I _think_ is that 'Amanda' doesn't start with the letter C!" she hissed.

"Francine, you can't seriously believe…"

I thought you'd changed!" She looked down at the box, snapped it shut and then tossed it back at him. "Let me guess – that new recruit, Carol? The redhead who started here a few months ago?"

"Close," he said, glaring back at her. "But no."

"Close? You're incorrigible, you know that?" She didn't move, just stood tapping her foot. "So who is it then?"

"Why is that any of your business?"

"It may not be – but I can make it my business," she growled. "Does your little 'See you next Tuesday' know you're practically a married man?"

"Practically?" Lee seemed to have suddenly become very amused and she didn't like it.

"Don't even start! You've been positively domesticated since Amanda's accident, falling all over yourself to take care of her, helping with her kids…" His amusement visibly faded at the reminder and with it, her anger turned into disappointment – she'd really thought that maybe Lee could change… "Whatever – it's your life, I guess."

"That's right, it is. But why are you so interested anyway?" he asked, sensing the change in her mood.

"Because that-" she pointed at the box "Just confirms everything I thought about men!"

She turned to leave, before he called her back, voice more gentle now. "Francine, it's not what you think – honestly."

""Yeah, sure," she replied, not slowing down.

"Francine." More forceful now so that she had to stop and look back.

"I picked this up for Joe as a favor – for his wife? Carrie? He knew Montreux carried these but it's hard for him to get down here so he called and asked if Amanda or I could pick it up for him."

"Oh." Francine flushed, feeling stupid. "Oh God, I'm sorry… I thought…"

Lee tilted his head and looked at her with a hurt expression. "Do you really think that little of me? I thought we were better friends than that."

"No," she admitted. "But I had a call from Jonathan earlier... and I thought I'd vented enough on the gun range, but apparently not." She gave a little shrug of apology. "And somehow it made it worse when someone I thought wasn't like that turned out to be. I overreacted - I'm sorry."

"Jonathan called?" Now it was Lee's turn to get angry. "What did that idiot want?"

"Doesn't matter," she waved it off. "I told him where to go and I doubt he'll be bothering me again."

"I can make certain of that," growled Lee.

"Aw, look who's the big protective Poppa Bear after all," she teased him lightly. "As if you think I can't look after myself."

"I think you can," he conceded. "I just don't think you should always have to."

"Oh. Well, thank you I guess. And who knows? Maybe Santa will bring me someone from the nice list."

Lee's face lit up with laughter. "Well, if you want some advice – start by hanging out with normal people. It's amazing how they get under your skin. They're nice to you, and the next thing you know, you start being nice to people too and then suddenly the phonies like Stone start looking like pale imitations of what you really want."

"Well, you'd know better than most," she laughed back at him. "Maybe that can be my New Year's resolution, right?"

"Right," he agreed. "Tell you what, let me take you to Ned's later and buy you a drink to toast to that."

"Thanks, but not today," she smiled at him. "I'm, um, actually on my way to meet someone else there already and I don't want to look like the girl who does nothing but hang out at the bar."

"Oh really?" Lee's interest was piqued. "You're taking dates to Ned's now? That seems risky."

"Not a date, no. Just someone… normal," was as much as she'd admit to. "Never too early to start on those resolutions, right?"

"Right. Well, have a good time." He waited until she'd passed through the doorway before calling out, "Oh, and Francine? Don't do anything I used to do."

And just like that, she knew she'd been forgiven.


	10. A Bit on the Side

"Oh no! No, no, no, no!" Amanda sounded like she was going to cry at the sight of the broken casserole dish on the kitchen floor and the scattered remains of a green bean casserole oozing everywhere.

"Oh no, indeed," commented Dotty, craning to look over the kitchen island with a grimace. "Isn't that your dish for the Teacher Appreciation dinner tonight?"

"Yes!" wailed Amanda, "and it starts in two hours! I don't have everything I need to make another one in time! And I still have to pull together the agenda for the PTA meeting that we're having after it, and I haven't even started to get ready myself!"

"Will it matter?" asked her mother. "Most potlucks end up with too much food anyway."

"Yes, it matters," Amanda sniffled. "I was in charge of keeping the list of who was bringing what and Cheryl kept making comments in the _rudest_ way about how we never have enough side dishes and always too many desserts, so I specifically put myself down for a side dish! And now we're down one!"

"No problem," said Lee unexpectedly. Neither of the women had noticed that he was rooting through the fridge, pulling out an odd assortment of items. "As long as you have… perfect! I knew I could count on you to have the world's best stocked pantry, Amanda."

"Lee, Sweetheart, what on earth are you doing?"

"I'm saving your bacon – or in this case, your side dish." Lee grinned at her, tapping the side of his nose. "Barney had a secret recipe for when my uncle had to entertain the brass and it was always a hit. I can still make it in my sleep."

"Really?" Amanda sounded doubtful although she was heartened by the mention of Barney – she knew from experience that he really was an amazing cook. "What is it?"

Lee laughed. "Um, it doesn't really have a name – we always just called it Barney's corn thing."

"Barney's corn thing?" repeated Dotty wrinkling her nose. "Sounds charming."

"Wait until you try it," Lee winked at her. "I'll make a double batch and we can have it with dinner while Amanda's at her meeting." He turned to Amanda who was looking torn. He made a shooing motion at her. "Scoot! Go shower, get more beautiful and I'll handle this. Scout's honor."

At those magic words, Amanda's face dissolved into a grin. "Fine – I'll leave you to it."

"Dotty, you start shredding this cheese while I chop the onions and crush the crackers," instructed Lee, turning to the pile of ingredients and squaring his shoulders.

"Crackers?" Amanda's head reappeared around the door from the stairs. "Are you sure…?"

"Trust me, it'll be good. Now scoot."

Amanda scooted.

* * *

"Oh my goodness, that was absolutely delicious, Lee!" Dotty enthused later as they stood at the sink doing dishes. "But you know, I think it does have a name – it's like spoon bread."

"Spoon bread?" repeated Lee. "That's a thing?"

"Well, it's a Southern thing – but Barney's version definitely amped it up! I think you'll need to make that for Christmas dinner – Lillian will love it." She held up the dish. "I mean look at this, I think the boys may have actually licked out the dish!"

"Is it better than Carrie's turkey stuffing? I wouldn't want to look like I was trying to one-up her," he laughed. "But yeah, it was always a big hit – it drove the officers' wives crazy that Barney would never tell them what was in it."

"Why not? Was it some sort of closely guarded secret?"

"No," Lee laughed. "He just knew that if they knew how fattening it was, they'd never eat it again – and he didn't want to ruin them enjoying it!"

"Well, it was worth every calorie," agreed Dotty. "You should feed that to Amanda, maybe get some weight on her."

"I don't think she'd thank me for that," grinned Lee. "And besides, I think she's perfect."

"Good answer, Stetson," said Amanda from behind them as she appeared seemingly from nowhere, leaning in to give him a quick kiss and drop the potluck dish into the soapy water. "But honestly, you could make that every week and I don't think I'd ever get tired of it. You need to make that for Christmas dinner." She turned to slip off her winter coat and hang it over a kitchen chair.

"I already told him that," smiled Dotty.

"Well, it was a huge hit with the teachers. In fact…." Amanda dug into her purse and pulled out a piece of printed cardboard. "They decided to have a contest this year and you won for best new dish!" She presented it to Lee with a flourish.

"You're kidding!"

"Would I kid about something as serious as the Arlington Heights Middle School PTA Teacher Appreciation Christmas Potluck competition? It was cut throat, believe me, but you won by a landslide. Everyone wants the recipe."

Dotty laughed. "I helped make it and believe me, they really don't. I've never seen so much eggs, cheese and butter in a single dish."

"Did you really tell them you hadn't made it?" asked Lee. "They wouldn't have known if you hadn't said anything."

Oh no," said Amanda with a look of such smug satisfaction that both Lee and her mother started to laugh. "It already drives Cheryl crazy that you're so good-looking. Getting to tell her you cook as well was all the prize I needed."


	11. Visions of Sugar Plums

"Mother, your date is here!" Amanda called up the stairs.

"Tell him I'll be down in a minute!" Dotty called back. "I'm almost ready!"

She finished applying her lipstick, then stepped over to twirl in front of the full-length mirror. She was pleased with what she saw – she might be getting older, but she'd kept her figure, and if she had lines around her eyes, at least she could be happy that they were laugh lines.

 _Life is good_ , she thought. Amanda finally seemed ready to settle down again, Lee was delightful and Curt, well Curt had surprised her with a mysterious invitation today, and you couldn't ask for much more romance than that at our age, could you?

She thought back to that morning when Amanda had gone to answer the doorbell and returned with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and a corsage in a box.

"How lovely!" she'd exclaimed. "You are so lucky! That Lee Stetson really is an 11!"

"Yes, he is," agreed Amanda. "But these aren't for me – they're for you!" She held out the bouquet so that Dotty could indeed see her name written in flowing script across the envelope attached. She reached for it and opened it carefully, while Amanda watched with interest.

"Lovely flowers for a lovely lady. Please join me tonight in your favorite dress. A Not-so-secret Admirer." The corsage of striped pink and white lilies had been the perfect complement to her favorite purple evening gown, as Curt well knew.

"Oh that's so sweet," Amanda had exclaimed when she passed her the card. "What a good thing I don't need you to stay home with the boys tonight. At least I hope I don't… I mean, gosh, work has been just crazy these days."

"Amanda! Do not even joke about that! And you know the boys are old enough to be left home alone! I can't believe you would even ask-" She stopped dead when she realized her daughter was trying very hard not to laugh. "Very funny," she muttered.

"I wouldn't dream of interfering with your evening out, Mother," Amanda smiled and reached out to rest her hand on top of Dotty's. "I'm sure you're going to have a lovely time."

"What do you suppose Curt has planned?" she asked, studying the card. "It says my favorite dress and he knows that's my purple one, but that's quite dressy – what if he's just taking me out bowling?"

"With a corsage?" teased Amanda. "That seems unlikely."

"You're right," Dotty agreed, beaming. "Oh, I can hardly wait to tell Edna about this! She will be positively emerald with jealousy!"

"I'm sure she will, Mother."

Now, with one last look of satisfaction at her reflection, Dotty made her way downstairs, stopping in the doorway to the family room, to find Lee in a tuxedo and a smile that made his dimples so deep you could drown in them.

"Well, don't you look beautiful," he said. "Like daughter, like mother, I guess."

"Well, you're looking pretty handsome yourself, Lee." Dotty peered around the room, looking for Curt, then turned to look at Lee again. "Are you and Amanda going to another premiere? I thought she said she wasn't busy tonight."

No, we're not," grinned Lee. "But you and I are going to the ballet. Unless, of course, you're too disappointed that I'm not Curt."

"You and I…" Dotty swivelled to look at Amanda who was indeed lounging comfortably against the kitchen island in her jeans – and was definitely not dressed up to go out with Lee. "Did you know about this?"

"Not until he showed up on the doorstep," admitted Amanda, smiling. "Although he was being very evasive at work today, so I was pretty sure he was up to something." She gave Lee a wink.

"You know me so well," he answered, before turning back to Dotty. "So are you ready to go?" He held out his arm, elbow crooked toward her.

She looked back at Amanda, who was beaming, then back at Lee who was looking ridiculously pleased with himself. "Well, I guess I am," she smiled at him.

"Have a good time, you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," teased Amanda. "And Lee? Please be careful with my mother."

The sympathetic smile he gave her suggested that there was far more to that comment than was apparent, but Dotty was too excited to pursue that right now. "Oh now I really wish Edna was here – she'd never believe I have a date with such a handsome man!"

"Maybe you meant I should be careful _of_ your mother?" asked Lee over his shoulder as he ushered Dotty toward the front door.

"Yeah, maybe," agreed Amanda.

* * *

"This has been just lovely, Lee," exclaimed Dotty as they worked their way across the lobby, sipping the champagne Lee had pre-ordered for intermission. "I still can't believe you planned this."

"Well, I know you loved seeing The Nutcracker when you were a little girl, and I thought you might enjoy seeing it again."

"But just the two of us? I'm sure Amanda would have enjoyed this as well." Dotty surveyed him with narrowed eyes.

"Can't a man just want to concentrate on one beautiful woman for the evening instead of having to divide his attention between two?" dimpled Lee.

"Not without a darn good reason," answered Dotty, teasing him.

"Well, I might have had an ulterior motive," conceded Lee.

"You do?" Dotty perked up.

"I said I _might_ ," pointed out Lee.

"Lee Stetson! Don't you tease an old woman!"

"Not old, Dotty, never old," Lee reprimanded her, lifting her hand to kiss it, with a wink.

"You are such an incorrigible flirt," sighed Dotty. "No wonder my daughter loves you."

"Well, I love her too," said Lee, a little more serious. "And that has quite a lot to do with why I wanted to take you out tonight. I wanted to ask you something."

Dotty sucked in a breath with excitement. "Are you asking what I think you're asking?"

"If you mean, am I asking for your permission to marry her, then no," replied Lee, with a half-smile.

"Oh." Dotty couldn't hide her disappointment – she'd been so certain that Amanda and Lee were destined for each other.

"But only because I think we both know Amanda doesn't need your permission to do what she wants. If she wanted to marry me, we both know she'd just go right ahead and do it, whether you liked it or not. She might not even invite you if she thought you were going to stand up and object." His eyes were twinkling at her with a light in them that warmed her right through.

"Well, that's true," she agreed, starting to laugh along with him. "She can be pretty stubborn."

"Well, we both know I'm wrong on one count – she would want you there more than anything in the world." Now there was a trace of something in his expression that she couldn't quite place, but decided that, of course, Lee was thinking about how his own parents would never be at his wedding.

"But are you going to…? You know what? Never mind – what was it you wanted to ask?" Dotty resigned herself to waiting even longer for these two to get their act together.

"Well, all these weeks since Thanksgiving, you and Amanda and the boys, you've all been trying to include me in the traditions and everything, and sometimes, I'm a little…"

"Overwhelmed?" she supplied.

"Not overwhelmed exactly, no," he smiled. "But maybe a little unsure of myself?"

"Unsure of yourself how?" Dotty was really intrigued now. Lee had always been a bit of an enigma, but the one thing she'd always noticed was his calm air of self-assurance, as if he was used to commanding any room he was in.

"I guess I don't know how much or how little I should be trying to insert myself into things," he said with a trace of wistfulness. "These are all your family traditions and I feel like if I try to take part in everything, it looks like I'm trying too hard to shoehorn myself into it, but if I don't take part in everything every time, I look like I don't care. I guess I'm not good at figuring out where the lines are and I was hoping you could-"

"Oh my goodness, Lee Stetson, you certainly know how to ask the big questions, don't you? And just when we only have a few minutes left until intermission is over!" she scolded him, but reaching out to squeeze his arm so that he would know she wasn't serious.

"I'm sorry – I was going to take you for dessert when this was over and talk to you then," he apologized. "I didn't really mean to blurt it all out right now."

"Well, fortunately for you, it's a simple answer. They are family traditions and you're family – or as good as," she added, pointedly, and watched his face light up with a grin. "And most of the fun of traditions is getting to share them or pass them along, but here's the funny thing about family and traditions…" She leaned in conspiratorially, "They don't stay the same."

"They don't?" Lee looked confused. "Amanda makes it sound like…I mean there are rules for tree decorating!"

"Oh I know, Dear," Dotty waved for him to shush. "But this is what I mean: families grow and shrink and grow again, and traditions go right along shrinking and growing with them. People move or get married or have children – everything changes. Now for instance, when Carl and I got married, we had to learn how to juggle our time between my family and his for the holidays – and so did our brothers and sisters as their own families came along and some of the traditions on both sides had to change to adjust to that. And then we had Amanda, and we started our own little things that we did, just the three of us. Then along came Joe, then Phillip and Jamie… and soon we weren't seeing our own brothers and sisters as much because they had their own children and grand-children and they were doing the same as us – passing on the traditions to their own families or making new ones. But the threads of our own families were still there, if you see what I mean."

Lee gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment. "So, kind of like, the more things change, the more they stay the same?"

"Exactly," she exclaimed. "There's no tradition that doesn't get changed a little bit from year to year depending on who's taking part, but it doesn't make them any less of a tradition, does it?"

"I guess not," he conceded. "I guess I'm used to military traditions – those _never_ change."

"Well, maybe you could bring something of that into Christmas this year and add something to all our craziness instead of thinking you just need to make yourself be part of ours," Dotty replied.

"Like what?" Lee asked in a tone of disbelief. "Having it in a different place every year and watching the boys get in a fistfight over the drumstick?"

Dotty had to give into the whoop of laughter at that idea. "Maybe not those ones, but I'm sure you can think of something. For instance, maybe you could start with you and Amanda _not_ getting caught up with last-minute work and missing most of Christmas Eve this year?"

Lee winced and looked abashed. "That would be a good one to start with."

Dotty patted his arm again. "Don't fret about it – you're doing just fine fitting in with the family. You belong there."

"I belong there?" Lee repeated the words under his breath with a tone of wonder.

Just at that moment, the lobby lights dimmed to let people know they should return to the auditorium for the second act.

"I didn't raise a fool for a daughter, Lee. If she says you belong, you belong. And as it happens, I agree with her and so do the boys. Now let's go enjoy the second act. I do love to watch those men in tights."

"Now you're the one who's being incorrigible," Lee reprimanded her with a huge grin.

"I know. Isn't it fun?" she beamed back at him.

* * *

Lee and Dotty came in the front door, laughing together over something Dotty had said just before.

"Well, you two look like you had a good time," said Amanda from where she was stretched out on the family room sofa with her book.

"Oh it was simply marvellous, Amanda. I wish you could have been there! Lee is the most wonderful date! So considerate and generous!"

"I know that, Mother," Amanda grinned as Lee blushed at the compliment. "But I don't know – you seemed to have had a pretty high-heel good time with just the two of you. Maybe you should make it a tradition to take my mother out every year, Sweetheart."

She didn't know why her mother and Lee had looked at each other in _quite_ that way, but whatever she'd just said had made them both light up with huge smiles.

"That is an _excellent_ idea, Amanda," said Lee. "I definitely see a new tradition in the making."

"So the ballet was good?" she asked.

"It was – and so was the dessert at Chez Helene's after!" answered Dotty. "And Lee has a little something for you. There must be a joke I'm not getting, but he seemed very sure you'd like it!"

"Then I'm sure I will," said Amanda promptly. Lee pulled something wrapped in tissue paper out of his jacket pocket and came to sit by her, perched on the edge of the sofa. "Are you sure I should open it now? I don't have to wait until Christmas?" she teased.

"No, it's just a little something for the tree that I thought you'd like. They were selling ornaments themed with the ballet as a fundraiser," he explained. "Go ahead – I really think you'll like it."

Amanda looked at him suspiciously because he sounded close to laughing. "Well at least I'm pretty sure it isn't a figurine of the Mouse King," she teased and watched Lee's eyes crinkle up even more. She unwrapped the tissue to reveal a porcelain figurine of the ballet's central couple, Clara in a flowing gown and her prince in his white uniform, arms wrapped around each other's waist, gazing into each other's eyes. "Oh Lee! It's lovely! And so romantic!" she exclaimed.

"Well, it looks it," commented Dotty from where she was mixing her nightcap in the kitchen. "But like I said to Lee earlier, it's so funny to think that since she's snuck back downstairs after bedtime, Clara meets her prince in her nightgown while he's there in a gleaming white uniform! I mean, can you imagine anything more embarrassing? It really must be true love!"

Amanda locked eyes with Lee, both of them working hard not to laugh out loud. "Oh yes, Mother, it really must be!"


	12. Stuck on You

Lee tapped on the back door and stepped inside. "Hi, Jamie. Hi, Phillip."

"Hey, Lee. You know, you don't really have to knock anymore – you practically live here. You can just walk in like the rest of us."

Lee gave a quick smile at the friendly teasing. It had taken time but he and Jamie had gotten closer with time, especially once Amanda had gently pointed out to him how similar they were. The realization that he'd fallen into the trap of thinking of the boys as a block set had made it easier for him to adjust his approach – and she'd been right of course. Jamie's quiet manner and quick wit was far more like Lee than his playboy persona made most people think.

"Your mother doesn't like it when I sneak up on her," he grinned.

"That's not what Grandma says," deadpanned Phillip.

"Your grandmother has a lot to say about a lot of things," laughed Lee.

There was a sudden exclamation from the other room that made Lee look around, instantly on alert.

"Oh yeah. Stay clear of the dining room," Jamie advised him. "Mom and Grandma are making ornaments for the church craft fair."

"And why do I need to stay clear of it? Is there something dangerous about ornaments I don't know about?"

"It's not the ornaments, it's the making," explained Jamie, not that his explanation made anything clearer.

There was another yelp, making Lee start. "What is going on in there?"

"They're using the show gun."

"The what gun?"

"No, Lee, not a gun, a shogun – you know, like the Japanese emperor."

Lee shook his head – four years of learning to understand Amanda was still not always helpful when it came to conversations with her family, so he headed into the dining room, despite the boys' warning. Amanda and Dotty were surrounded by bows, trim, bottles of glitter and Styrofoam balls, along with a basket of finished ornaments. Amanda was fixing something on one of the balls with a pearl-headed pin while Dotty was holding up some kind of trim against another as she decided how it looked.

"Could someone please explain to me what a Japanese emperor has got to do with all this?" he asked, still confused.

"Nothing," laughed Amanda. "That's just what we call the glue gun."

Lee sighed heavily. "Okay, I'll bite – what's a glue gun?"

Dotty picked up a small implement from the table that Lee noticed was plugged into the wall between the two women. "One of these. It heats up glue and then the gun part lets you apply it exactly where you want it."

"Okay… And why do you call it a shogun?"

The two women exchanged a smile that he knew from experience meant something devious. "Well, when Jamie was little, we were using it and I didn't realize he was nearby and I called it by the nickname we usually use. And of course, he asked why we called it that, so I told him it was a "shogun" because it was very powerful and held everything together – just like a king does with his kingdom."

Lee was instantly suspicious. "Why do I have the feeling that's not the whole story?"

"Well, I thought of that excuse because that TV miniseries was on at the time, but really, he just misheard me."

"So what's it really called?"

Dotty, looking much too innocent, held out the hard foam ball and the piece of trim. "Lee Darling, can you take the gun and just put a little drop of glue right there and then stick this bow into place for me? It just needs the littlest drop."

"Mother!" Amanda scolded her but didn't stop Lee from taking it, and watched with a smile that told him he was missing something.

He carefully squeezed the trigger on the glue gun, watching as the mechanism pulled the solid tube down the barrel, and applied a large drop of glue to where Dotty had indicated. Picking up the small bow, he stuck it on, not taking any particular care. A millisecond later, as the scalding hot melted glue hit his fingertip, he yowled and dropped the whole thing, but of course, the scalding glue was still on his finger. "Oh shit! That hurt!"

Amanda and Dotty had collapsed with giggles. "And _that_ is why we call it the Oh-shit gun!"


	13. Ghosts of Christmas Past

The Christmas party at Birchwood was in full swing: Bing Crosby crooning over the speakers, Rupert flirting with Francine across the room and Lee in his element, flanked by Lois and Glynnis who were leading him along the buffet table and loading his plate with everything they'd made as he pretended to protest.

Amanda shook her head, smiling quietly to herself. She'd told the Mendleson sisters that people at the Agency were all contributing to the potluck and that they were supposed to just put their feet up and enjoy, but of course they'd ignored her, baking up a storm in the week leading up to the party.

"We're retired and bored ex-intelligence agents, Amada Dear, and we like to keep busy," they'd pointed out with wicked grins. "Would you rather we were sticking our noses into crimes around the neighborhood to pass the time?"

She and Lee had exchanged identical looks of mock horror and rushed to agree that no, the sisters should absolutely keep up with their kitchen activities and stay off the streets.

"I can't believe I'm aiding and abetting you by telling them to stay in the car," she'd confessed to Lee later.

"Better that than aiding and abetting them in taking down the local shoplifting ring," he'd answered.

"Well, they were going to do that anyway," she'd pointed out perfectly reasonably. "That gang never knew what hit them."

"Literally," Lee had agreed. "Who knew a walker could make such a handy weapon?"

"Or a crochet hook?" added Amanda, grinning.

Lee shuddered. "Don't remind me. I don't know if I can ever un-see that."

She turned to look around the room, checking to make sure that everyone had someone to talk to, and a plate of cookies nearby to nibble on. Picking up the coffee carafe, she had begun to circle the room, refilling cups and chatting as she went, when she noticed Billy waving her over to where he was sitting with a resident she hadn't met before.

"Amanda, this is Samuel Wallace. He's just moved into Birchwood and he used to be my equivalent back in the day. Mr. Wallace, this is Amanda King, one of my favorite agents."

Amanda blushed as she reached forward to shake Mr. Wallace's outstretched hand. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sir. If your agents gave you half the trouble we give Billy, I'm surprised you look as young as you do."

"What a flattering minx, you are! And you can call me Sam because I think we're going to be friends," chuckled the older man, patting the seat beside him, beaming when Amanda sat down with a broad smile. "You know, I've actually heard a lot about you since I got here – Lee and Amanda this and Lee and Amanda that. In fact, at first, I thought you were one person, Leon Amanda, because no one ever says one name without the other."

Billy couldn't restrain the snort he gave off. "You weren't far wrong, Sam. They're quite the team."

"Well, I look forward to meeting your other half," chuckled Sam. "I've only been here a few weeks and I already know those Mendleson sisters are besotted with him."

"Well, I'm sure he's somewhere around here," answered Amanda, craning her neck until she caught Lee's eye across the room and beckoned him over. As he began to work his way toward them, she turned back to Sam. "So are you enjoying living at Birchwood? Everyone making you feel welcome? Not that I really have to ask because I've never met a nicer group of people… Mr. Wallace? Sam? Are you alright?"

Sam, who had been smiling cheerfully seconds before, had suddenly gasped, half-lifting out of his chair before falling back, ashen-faced.

Amanda grabbed his hand, turning it to try and find his pulse. "Sam? Sam? What's wrong?" With relief she saw that Lee had picked up speed as he saw what was happening and was now crouched in front of him, while Billy had started to look for the nurse on duty. "Loosen his tie, Lee," she ordered.

Lee started to do as she'd asked, only to have Sam reach up and grab his wrist with a surprisingly strong grip.

"Oh my God, you're real?" Sam croaked.

Lee and Amanda exchanged a confused look. "Yes Sir," Lee answered him.

Sam gave a shaky laugh and let go of Lee. "Jeez, I thought I was seeing a ghost come to take me home. You look exactly like an agent I lost… wait, did you say Lee?"

"Yes Sir," said Lee, quietly, understanding now. "Lee Stetson. And I'm guessing you knew my father, Matthew."

Sam sank back in his chair, letting Amanda pick up his hand and hold it between hers.

"Knew him? Matt Stetson was like a son to me. I trained him during the war and then when he came home, he brought Jennie with him. Oh, they pretended they'd never met before but I'd never seen two people more in love… They thought they were fooling people, but they never fooled their friends – it was just too obvious." Sam stared at Lee, shaking his head. "I haven't seen you since you were this high." He held his hand up just above his knee. "You had your father's eyes and your mother's dimples."

"Still does," said Amanda, fondly, reaching out to rub Lee's shoulder.

"You knew me?" asked Lee. "When I was little?"

"Of course I did, from the day you were born. You were their pride and joy," replied Sam. "Never a day went by without Matt telling a story or six about what shenanigans you'd been into – just like your parents really," Sam started to chuckle. "If there was trouble, those two would find it."

Billy gave in to one of his deep laughs. "Apple didn't fall far from the tree then. In more than a few ways." He grinned as Lee and Amanda blushed in unison.

"I never believed a word of what people said about them," growled Sam, suddenly. "That wasn't the Matt and Jennie I knew but it was near impossible to get the facts to clear them after they died – every file locked up tight, no one allowed to talk…" He jabbed a finger at Lee. "But they were good people, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!"

"Oh they tried, believe me," replied Lee. "But we got that all straightened out last year."

"Glad to hear it. They deserved better than they were treated. Boy, I could tell you stories," said Sam with a far off look in his eye.

"Could you?" asked Lee. He hadn't meant it to sound so abrupt, and Sam's gaze came back to him sharply. "I- I- I've never met anyone who knew them," he stammered. "Except for my uncle and getting stuff out of him when I was growing up was like pulling hen's teeth."

"I sure could. Pull up a chair," beamed Sam, his smile growing broader as Lee raced to do exactly that. "Let me tell you – I never thought Matt would settle down, he was such a ladies man in his heyday…"

As he began to talk, Lee leaned in, lost in the tales immediately. Amanda stood up and touched his shoulder lightly. "I'll go get you both a drink– storytelling's thirsty work"

"Thanks, Sweetheart," said Lee absently.

Amanda met Billy's eyes over their heads, and knew he wasn't far from laughing out loud again at Lee's slip. He stood up and gave her a wink.

"Not far from the tree at all," he chuckled. "Come on, I'll help you get those drinks."

* * *

Lee was quiet on the drive home, deep in thought, until Amanda reached over to rest her hand along the back of his neck and gently scratch his scalp.

"Sam's pretty wonderful," she said quietly. "Those were some great stories."

Lee gave her a quick sideways smile, then returned his attention to the road. "Yeah, he is. And you know, he had names of other people who knew them, said he'd give them a call, ask them if I could visit… ask questions…" He sighed. "I can't believe it never occurred to me there'd still be people around who could tell me about them."

"Well, it makes sense – they'd only have been in their late sixties if they'd lived – we should have expected there would be."

"You're right – I don't know why I didn't think of it."

"Well, you didn't know where to start, and even if you had, you know what the Birchwood gang are like with secrets– some of your parents' old friends might not have wanted to tell you anything in case it was need to know."

"Yeah," Lee sighed again and reached to squeeze her knee. "I'm glad you were there to hear them too. Makes it seem more real."

"I'm glad I was too – they sound wonderful. I mean, I knew they must be to have such a great son, but the way Sam talked about them… they were special."

Lee's happy grin shone on the dim light of the streetlamps they were passing. "They were, weren't they?"

"You know," Amanda went on thoughtfully. "I bet if you asked your uncle for stories about your dad when they were young, he might be more willing to talk. And you know what else? I bet he was given a briefing when you went to live with him and maybe he always thought everything was off-limits to talk about."

"I hadn't thought of that. Maybe I'll call him tomorrow."

"See if he can come for Christmas," Amanda suggested. "Take him to meet Sam – I bet they'd get on like a house on fire."

"Another person for Christmas?" Lee teased her. "Is there any room left at the inn?"

"Oh, I'm sure he'll want to stay at the Officer's Club or your apartment," laughed Amanda. "He won't want to go from solitary silence to noisy house in one leap. But yes, he's family and there's always room for one more at the table. We just need to get a bigger table."

Lee pulled the Corvette over to the curb and turned to face her.

"What's wrong?" she asked in surprise.

"Absolutely nothing," smiled Lee. "I just wanted to do this." He leaned over, pulling her in close to kiss her, firmly. He pulled back just far enough to look into Amanda's eyes, shining with love. "I love you."

"Well, that's good because I love you too, Sweetheart." She pulled him again, kissing with the promise of the possibilities of the evening yet to come.

Lee lost himself in the embrace for a few minutes and then asked softly, lips still against her cheek, "Your place or mine?"

"Oh, your place, I think," she answered demurely. "I'd hate for the special lingerie I'm wearing to go to waste."

Heads along the street turned at the sound of the squealing tires as the Corvette tore up the street and disappeared into the night.


	14. Out of the Frying Pan

Lee had been greeted by many things on many occasions in Amanda's house: white slavers, baseball bats, snakes, even Dotty wielding an argyle sock with rapier wit, so really, nothing should have come as a surprise anymore. And yet, here he was, ducking and diving in the dim light of her kitchen, scrambling desperately to find the light switch, and then something suddenly swung into his peripheral vision again and he flattened himself against the fridge.

It was an unexpected end to an already much-too-long day. He'd been over at the Pentagon all day, helping on a military intelligence case tracking the connection between some thefts on bases and an arms smuggler he'd had run-ins with back in the late 70's, the monotony of which had only been broken by finding that the Air Force agent assigned to the same case had been a high school friend from one of the bases he'd spent time on. Sure he could have done without Duncan calling him Skippy all day but it had been fun to catch up and spend the downtime recalling some of their better antics. Between Duncan and the fact they were waiting for information from time zones all over the world, it had been mid-afternoon before he'd called Amanda to check in, but his call was transferred over to Mrs. Marston on the first ring.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Stetson. Mrs. King left half an hour ago and I was under the impression she was leaving for the day."

That seemed odd – Amanda was nothing if not reliable, so why on earth would she have left early?

"Did she mention if it was work-related or personal?" he asked, trying to sound at least vaguely professional and impersonal.

"Well, she mentioned having to collect her mother," admitted Mrs. Marston. "And I assume Mrs. King doesn't usually involve her mother in her work?"

Lee allowed himself a chuckle at the dry wit of the receptionist. "It's been known to happen but no, not if she can help it. Thank you, Mrs. Marston." He'd phoned the house but gotten no answer, so it did seem likely that wherever they were, Amanda and her mother were together. He left a message saying he'd be missing dinner since he would be working late, and thought no more about it.

When they had finally called it a night well past ten o'clock, he'd headed home - until it had occurred to him as he pulled away from the Pentagon that Maplewood Drive was between here and the apartment… and he hadn't seen his wife for over 24 hours. A quick glance at his watch told him that it was far enough past both Dotty's and the boys' bedtime that he could probably sneak in and spend some quality husband and wife time with Amanda – and it would be worth it even if he had to get up before anyone else and pretend he'd slept on the couch. Heck, he'd even save time in the morning, commuting back to the Pentagon. It was the perfect plan – or so he'd thought.

Arriving at the house, he'd crept up the driveway, surprised to find it all in darkness. Doubling back, he'd checked Amanda's window, reassured to see that her bedroom light at least was on. Quietly opening the back door with the key she'd given him, he slipped off his shoes and picked them up in one hand as he tiptoed toward the small set of steps out of the family room. He had one foot on the steps when something hit him square in the back, almost sending him flying, but years of training let him regain his balance and pivot sideways. He heard the clang of something hit the doorframe as he ducked out of the way and it was then, seeing her outlined against the dim light from the window that he realized his attacker was a short female, brandishing what appeared to be a frying pan. This was followed by the realization that she was coming at him again, and he dove out of her path, stocking feet slipping on the floor.

"Dotty! It's me! It's just me!" he yelped. Dotty and the boys might have been teasing him about always knocking before coming in, but jeez, the first time he actually does it, coming in late at night, suddenly he was met with this.

"Me who?" shrieked a voice that definitely _wasn't_ Dotty's and for one horrible moment, he wondered if he'd somehow accidentally wandered into the wrong house. He sensed an incoming swing and dropped to the floor, starting to scoot backwards on his butt around the island.

Finally to his relief, he heard a voice he _did_ know. "What on earth is going on down here?" Amanda yelled over the fray and suddenly, thankfully all the lights came on. There was complete silence as she took in the scene – Lee still scrambling away from his attacker and a tiny blonde woman wielding the frying pan and looking almost exactly like Granny from the Tweety-Bird cartoons. Dotty appeared beside Amanda and covered her mouth as she began to laugh.

"Oh, it's you," said Aunt Lillian, letting the frying pan drop to her side. "You should have said something."

"I _did_ say something!" Lee expostulated as he started to pull himself back to his feet.

"Well, you still shouldn't have been creeping around looking like you were casing the house and then sneaking in here without knocking then!"

"I wasn't sneaking! I was…" Lee stopped dead, suddenly aware that _that_ was exactly what he's been doing.

"Good decision, Sweetheart," murmured Amanda, obviously trying not to laugh. "You wouldn't want to be sneaking _and_ lying."

Lee looked up at her as she leaned on the doorframe at the top of the steps, and met her grin. He began to brush himself off as he turned to Dotty's sister. "Well I'm sorry I scared you, Lillian, but what are you doing here?"

"I was invited for Christmas," replied Lillian. She gave him a knowing head-to-toe look. "I don't have to ask what you're doing here."

Lee laughed even as he blushed at her blunt assessment. "No, I meant, what are you doing here already? I thought you weren't coming for a few more days."

"Amtrak had a special deal for seniors if they were travelling before the Christmas rush – half off the usual ticket. So I called and Amanda said it would be fine, so I came down today instead," explained Lillian. "And I was just getting ready to settle down on the pull-out sofa in the living room when I saw you sneaking past the window."

"Didn't you get any of my messages?" asked Amanda, still trying to contain her mirth. "I left one at work and on your machine at the apartment that I'd left early to go the station to pick her up."

"I haven't been home," he admitted. "I realized this was closer than my apartment and since I have to be back at the Pentagon first thing, I thought I'd, uh, see if I could come crash on the sofa and save time in the morning."

Lillian and Dotty gave off identical disbelieving snorts. "The sofa?" repeated Lillian. "If you were expecting to sleep on the sofa, I don't know how Amanda's keeping a hunk like you on her hook."

"Aunt Lillian!" Amanda yelped.

"Oh I'm pretty firmly hooked," laughed Lee, with an amused look at Amanda who had dropped her face in her hands and was shaking it from side to side.

"I'm sorry, Lee Darling," said Dotty with an amused look at her sister. "Lillian has always been the most tactless of my siblings."

"It isn't tactless – I'm just saying, a handsome young man like this…"

"Where are the boys?" asked Lee, interrupting this line of conversation before it could go any further.

"Oh, they'll sleep through anything," said Dotty. "Don't worry about them – it's us old ladies who don't sleep well who wake up for every little sound. Or not so little sound." She gave Lillian a meaningful look that neither Lee nor Amanda could misinterpret.

"Mother!"

"Now what did I tell you about calling yourself old, Dotty?" replied Lee, trying to distract the two sisters who were both cackling now.

Dotty snorted and waved a hand as if to brush aside the compliment. "Well, we're old enough to know why you're here, so why don't you two just scurry off upstairs, while Lillian and I have a little nightcap and watch an old movie and then you can tell yourself you _had_ to sleep upstairs because the sofa was taken."

"But the boys…"

"You'll be up and gone before the boys even wake up – their school break started already, remember? Now scoot."

Lee chanced a look at Amanda who met it with a mixture of resignation and mortification. "Come on," she rolled her eyes. "If you stay down here, they're only going to get worse." Lee slunk hurriedly across the room, picking up his dropped shoes as he went and headed for the stairs. She waited until he was standing beside her on the landing to murmur, "I guess senior agent really does always get the bed."

He stifled a laugh and started to follow her upstairs. As they went, both still blushing, they could still clearly her the two women behind them.

"On the sofa? My God, it's a good thing I got her that nightgown from Rebecca's Fantasies you recommended as a Christmas present."

"Oh good! Did you get her the matching silk robe too?"

"Of course I did! You know a man likes to do a little unwrapping on his way in!"

"Oh my gosh," groaned Amanda, impossibly even more scarlet.

"I really like the West women," chortled Lee. "They are clearly women of good sense and good taste."

"You'll be singing a different tune when Aunt Lillian's got you in her sights over the breakfast table," Amanda reminded him.

"As long as it doesn't involve a frying pan, I'll be fine," he promised. He stopped in the doorway and glanced down the far end of the hall where the boys' bedroom door was slightly ajar. "Is this okay? I mean, what if Phillip or Jamie wake up and find me here? I didn't mean for this to be so - "

"Public?" teased Amanda. "Sweetheart, they're sound asleep like only a teenage boy can be and Mother's absolutely right, they'll still be asleep when you go back to work in the morning, so there's nothing to worry about." She turned and smiled mischievously as he followed her into the bedroom. "Although I think you should be a lot more worried about showing up back there in the same clothes you were wearing today."

Lee looked down and grimaced – he might have gotten away with the same suit, but the coffee stain on his shirt was going to be harder to explain away. Duncan would have a field day relieving 'Skippy's' misspent youth – and there wasn't a chance any military intelligence agent worth his salt wouldn't notice.

"But lucky for you, I picked up your dry cleaning today," Amanda went on. "So there's a clean suit and a few shirts on the hook by the back door. And if you're a very good boy, I'll even go get them so you don't have to face Statler and Waldorf again tonight."

"I love you," said Lee with heartfelt relief. "Will you marry me?"

"Oh yeah," said Amanda, tipping up on her toes to kiss him. "I'll marry you."


	15. Little Pitchers

"Leave me alone, Wormbrain" grumbled Phillip as Jamie shook him awake.

"Phillip! You gotta wake up!" Jamie hissed at him.

"No, I don't," said Phillip. "It's still dark out and we don't have school tomorrow." He rolled over again, groaning when Jamie punched him in the back.

"Lee's here! And he's in Mom's room!"

That did get his brother's attention. Phillip rolled back and stared up at Jamie with the knowing smirk of an almost 15-year-old. "Well, James, when a man and a woman really love each other…"

"Ugh! Shut up!" Jamie slapped his hand down on his brother's chest. "That's not what I mean!"

It was obvious to Phillip that he wasn't going to get any sleep any time soon. "Okay, so what do you mean?"

"Something woke me up and I had to use the john… and when I went down the hall, they were in her room talking."

"Just talking?"

"Yes, just talking! But the thing is - I heard him – he asked her to marry him and she said yes."

Phillip sat up, completely alert now. "He did? And she did?"

"Yeah."

"Seriously? They're going to get married? Jeez, it's about time!"

"Yeah, but…"

"But what? Come on – you can't still think Lee's not awesome! They've been dating for like _ever_ and I told you weeks ago that he said he wanted to be a dad one day – they were going to have to get married some time!"

"Well, it's just… it was like not at all romantic. I mean, don't girls expect you to get down on one knee and ask properly with a ring and stuff?"

Phillip sighed. "Well, what do you mean by not romantic? How can asking a girl to marry you not be romantic?"

"They were joking about how she'd picked up his dry cleaning and he said he loved her and would she marry him and she said 'sure'."

"Well, now you're just shitting me. No way did Mom just said 'sure'!" Phillip objected.

Jamie scrunched up his face while he thought. "Okay, not exactly like that… she said she'd picked up his suit and Lee said I love you, will you marry me and Mom just kissed him and said "Oh yeah, I will" or something like that."

Phillip gave that some thought. "Okay, so maybe because she's been married before, it doesn't have to be all romantic?"

"Well, Lee hasn't been married before!" said Jamie hotly.

"Not that we know of," Phillip reminded him.

"Oh yeah." Jamie considered that for a moment. "Nah, he doesn't talk a ton about himself but he'd have said if he'd been _married_. Wouldn't he?" he finished, uncertain.

"Probably," said Phillip.

They both lapsed into silence for a moment, thinking about that very un-romantic proposal.

"What if…?" Jamie stopped as if he didn't want to say it out loud.

"What if, what?"

"What if… we just had to do that health class about – "He stopped and took a deep breath. "Sex. And the teacher was giving us this big lecture about not making girls… well, what if he just asked her so she'd… you know?"

Phillip's mouth dropped open in shock; that hadn't occurred to him. "He wouldn't, would he?" he said out loud. "I mean, Lee's a nice guy."

"Well, _we're_ nice but the teacher still had to tell us that was wrong," Jamie pointed out. "And Lee changed schools all the time growing up. Maybe no one ever told him."

Phillip pushed back his blankets and climbed out of his bed. "Well, let's go and ask him if he meant it." He marched out of the door and headed down the hall, Jamie following him, until, just as they approached their mother's door, it suddenly shut with an audible click and the sound of the lock being turned.

"Now what?" whispered Jamie. "Are you going to knock?"

Phillip visibly blanched. "No, I'm not going to knock!" he shout-whispered back.

"So what do we do?"

Phillip pivoted and headed back to their room. "We set an alarm and get up early to talk to him and make sure he meant it."

Jamie was chasing him back down the hallway. "We're not even supposed to know! How are we supposed to ask him when he doesn't know I heard him?"

"If they're really getting married, then they'd want us to know first, right? So we get up early and then if they don't say anything, we'll-"

"We'll what? Challenge him to a duel?" scoffed Jamie.

"I don't know. I'll think of something," muttered Phillip as he set the alarm. "Just go to sleep."

With a last huff, Jamie climbed into bed and stopped talking. But neither boy fell back asleep for a long time after that.

* * *

"So you're going to be at the Pentagon all day again?" Amanda asked as she and Lee made their way downstairs in the dark of a winter morning.

"Yeah probably," yawned Lee as he followed her. It didn't matter how much of a sunny morning person his wife was, it was still not his favorite time of day.

"Well then, you're going to eat a good breakfast and you're going to like it, because I know you have a fine-tuned loathing for anything approaching mess food and you're not going to eat properly all day if you're stuck there."

"Yes, Dear," he said meekly, even as he stepped closer to wrap his arms around her waist and bury his face in her hair as they crossed the room.

Amanda was laughing softly as she stepped into the kitchen. "Okay, Big Fella, you put on the coffee and I'll start…OH MY GOSH!" she finished with a quiet shriek. She had stopped dead, then been almost knocked off-balance by Lee who hadn't stopped walking when she did.

"What?" he said, lifting his head and finding himself staring straight at Phillip and Jamie who were sitting at the kitchen table, with identical serious expressions. "Oh my God," he semi-echoed.

"Morning, Mom. Morning, Lee," said Phillip. Jamie said nothing, just continued to stare solemnly at them, light glinting off his glasses.

"Oh! Uh, good morning, Sweetheart," Amanda managed to find her voice first. "Why are you two up so early? You don't have school, remember?"

"We just couldn't sleep, I guess," Jamie finally spoke. "So what are _you_ doing here so early, Lee?"

"I…uh… well, I had something to pick up here on my way to the Pentagon," Lee said, feebly. "Your mom picked up my dry cleaning yesterday when I was working all day and I… needed it."

"And it was upstairs?" asked Phillip. "That's funny. Because I remember Mom hanging it on the hook by the back door when she came in, so she'd remember to take it to work this morning."

"Well, no, it wasn't upstairs, I just went upstairs to change into it, so that I didn't bother Aunt Lillian by using the bathroom down here!" Lee finished triumphantly.

"That's the only reason you came all the way over here?"

"Yep." Lee was flailing now. "Just needed my lucky suit."

There was a long silence while the boys stared at him, then at each other, before nodding and turning back to look at the adults.

"Actually it's good you're here," said Phillip. "Because we need you to do us a favor."

"What kind of favor?" asked Amanda, her maternal Spidey-senses on full alert.

"We need Lee to give us a ride to the mall tonight to do our Christmas shopping."

"Well, I can do that," said Amanda. "Or your grandmother."

"You know Grandma doesn't like trying to park the car when it's busy at the mall," scoffed Jamie. "And we want to get your present, so you can't be there either."

Lee and Amanda exchanged a long look – it seemed like a pretty reasonable request but they both knew something else was going on.

"Okay, I think I can do that, if I don't get stuck with the, uh, filming crew," agreed Lee. "How about I come for dinner and we go out after?"

"That'll be good," said Phillip. He gave off a huge yawn. "Well, I'm tired again. I'm going back to bed. See you later, Lee."

"Yeah, me too," said Jamie, standing up. "Have a good day at work, Mom."

Amanda and Lee watched quietly as the boys trailed out of the room and back upstairs.

"What the hell was that?" Lee asked.

"I'm not sure yet," answered Amanda. "But something's up with them."

"Well, I've seen that look before and it was usually on the faces of fathers whose daughters I was trying to date," said Lee. "Why do I feel less like I'm taking them to the mall, and more like they're taking me to the woodshed?"

Amanda gave one of her deep rumbling laughs. "I'm sure you can handle it, Sweetheart."

"You can't come with us and protect me?" he asked, starting to laugh along with her.

"No, you're on your own," she answered, pulling him closer for a long kiss.

"Morning, Amanda. Morning, Lee," said Aunt Lillian from directly behind them, grinning as they leapt apart with muffled yelps. "Sheesh – I can't believe you two haven't even stopped making out long enough yet to put the coffee on." She sailed past them and began to put water in the coffee maker. "I sure hope it's not always going to be this noisy this early around here or I'm going to go find myself a nice quiet hotel room instead."

"Are mornings in your house always going to be like this?" muttered Lee into Amanda's ear. "Because I don't think my heart can take it."

"No," said Amanda in a voice tinged with doubt. "I'm sure it's just Christmas that's making everyone a little crazy."

"Great," answered Lee. "Another reason to _love_ Christmas."

* * *

"Come on, Lee," said Jamie, tugging his sleeve. "We already have some ideas for Mom for Christmas."

Lee was looking slightly terrorized. He had spent most of his adult life managing to avoid suburban malls at this time of year and, despite years of Agency training, he was feeling overwhelmed by the sensory overload of lights, decorations and a seething mass of people.

"Okay, lead on," he managed to say.

The boys led him directly to a jewellery store. "Um, I think this stuff might be out of your price range, guys," he said.

"Maybe, but I bet it's not out of yours," Jamie pointed out.

"Wait – are you trying to get me to buy something expensive for your mother and say it was from you two? Because she'll know perfectly well who paid for it," Lee said. "And that'll take away from her appreciating it."

The boys exchanged an eye-rolling look. "Of course, we're not. We just want to make sure _you_ get her something good," said Phillip.

"What makes you think I haven't already bought her something?" asked Lee, genuinely curious.

"Because you're a guy and guys always wait until the last minute. You didn't even have anything for her last year," Jamie pointed out.

"Yes, I did," Lee contradicted him. "I just forgot it at the office."

"Exactly – just like a guy. And we're here to make sure you don't do that again," said Phillip, firmly. He grabbed his arm and dragged him over to a display case. "Now, how about something like this?"

Lee looked down and realized he was standing in front of a display of engagement rings. "Oh, I don't know, guys," he croaked. "I don't think she'd like any of these."

"Oh come on," scoffed Phillip. "What girl doesn't like jewellery?"

Lee glanced at Jamie who was watching him with a troubled expression. "Okay, you two, what's really going on here?" he asked, his suspicions confirmed when the boys shuffled their feet and exchanged sideways looks. "Okay, come on – we're going to go find somewhere quiet in this godforsaken North Pole nightmare and you can tell me all about it."

They ended up in the food court. It wasn't particularly quiet, but at least they could nurse the milkshakes Lee bought them as they sat around one of the little metal tables.

"Spill it, recruits," he ordered in a passable imitation of his uncle.

"I heard you," said Jamie. "Last night in Mom's room." He rushed on as Lee went pale. "Just when you were talking, I mean. I was on my way to the bathroom and I heard you ask her to marry you."

Lee thought furiously, trying to recall what he and Amanda had talked about. It seemed unlikely Jamie could have heard anything like that.

"She said something about your dry cleaning and you said you loved her and asked her to marry you," Jamie pressed on. "But it didn't sound like you really meant it," he added sadly.

Lee stared at him nonplussed. "I didn't," he said without thinking and watched as his stepsons' eyes widened in unison. "No, I don't mean that! I mean…" _Oh God, where's Amanda when I need her?_ "I mean, we were kind of joking around but you didn't really think I'd ask her like that, did you?"

"Well, it did seem kinda unromantic," conceded Jamie. "But you've been dating for like a year! Dad met and married Carrie in less than six months!" His expression got more wretched. "We were worried you were just, you know…"

"No, I don't know," said Lee, feeling all at sea again.

"He was worried you were just saying that so that Mom would let you stay the night in her room," Phillip bulldozed his way back into the conversation.

Lee stared in horror at the boys opposite, Jamie in particular who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here and was now staring fixedly at the tabletop. "Oh God, no." He reached over and grabbed Jamie's wrist. "Jamie, look at me." He waited until Jamie looked up, checked to make sure Phillip was looking at him too and then said, "I am crazy in love with your mother and I plan on staying married to her for the rest of my life. Once we, uhhh, get married, I mean." He cleared his throat and went on. "We were joking around because we've already talked about getting married, but we're still working out stuff like timing and we didn't want to get you or your grandmother excited until we knew how we were going to do it."

Both boys began to look relieved. "So you already proposed? Properly? Like down on one knee and everything?" asked Jamie.

Lee thought back to that moment in Addi Birol's prison. "Yes, down on one knee and everything," he said, truthfully. "And she said we were the luckiest two people in the world – and she's right, because we have you and your grandmother and each other. Okay?"

The boys nodded, finally starting to smile.

"Now, the thing is – you can't say anything about this to your grandmother, okay? Your mom wants to be the one to tell her, and until we get some stuff worked out at IFF to do with employees marrying each other and a few other things, she can't. So promise me – not a word."

In unison, the boys made a zipping motion across their mouth and held up two fingers in a Scout promise, then broke out into broad delighted grins. "So you're really going to be our step-dad?" asked Jamie.

"If you want me," Lee grinned back.

They pretended to think about it, even going as far as having a fake whispered conference behind their hands, before putting on solemn expressions. "After much consideration… yes, we want you," said Phillip.

"Phew," laughed Lee. "So now what? We can't go home empty-handed. Do you really need help getting presents for your mom?"

"Kinda," admitted Jamie. "I don't know what to get her. I thought maybe a scarf?"

"No, not a scarf," Lee managed to contain his laughter, just barely. "Come on, let's go see what we can find. I won't pay for it but I'll co-sign a loan for anything reasonable."

"What does that mean?" asked Jamie.

"It means he'll pony up some extra money if you need it, but not for something expensive. Right, Pops?"

"Right," Lee grinned at Phillip. "And you know what? My uncle and I used to have a tradition – okay, not a tradition because it was really just him being clueless – but we used to go out and he'd let me pick out my own present and get that for me. So how about we make that our tradition too and then I don't end up getting you something you hate."

"Really?" queried Phillip with excitement.

"Really – but within reason," cautioned Lee. "Your mother will have my head if I get you something too expensive. Tell you what – you point stuff out that you like and I'll pick it up later so that it's a surprise to see what you get."

"Like a Santa list for grown-ups," quipped Jamie.

"Exactly," agreed Lee.

"Come on, Wormbrain," crowed Phillip. "Let's start in the sports store!"

"No, we start with getting your mother something," Lee said in a commanding tone.

"She likes sports!" said Phillip, with a hopeful expression.

"She likes Woodward and Lothrop's better," pointed out Lee. He stood up and pointed dramatically down the mall. "So get going – first we brave the perfume counter and the accessories department like real men, then we shop for ourselves."

The boys grinned and darted off ahead as Lee moved to drop the empty milkshake cups in the trash before following them, shaking his head.

 _So this is what Dotty meant about how traditions start_ , he thought, followed immediately by _How am I going to explain this to Amanda?_

Jamie turned to call back to him, with a teasing grin, "You coming, Pops?" Lee laughed and nodded, picking up his pace to catch up with the boys who were bouncing on their toes with excitement, just like their mother so often did.

 _Their mother… No,_ he decided, _their mother definitely didn't need to know_ all _the details about this particular misunderstanding… Bomber fathers can keep secrets too, right?_


	16. Store Trek: The Next Generation

"Grandpa? Do you think Grandma's going to like the picture frame we got her?"

Billy smiled at the eight-year-old girl who was bouncing in her seat opposite him in the mall food court. "I think she's going to love it – but you know what she's going to love even more? The photo of you and your brother that you want to put in it."

Sarah beamed with pleasure. "Is it time to go back to the photo booth and get it yet? They said it would only be an hour!"

Billy checked his watch. "Another twenty minutes, Darling. You have time to finish your drink."

Sarah continued to bounce. "This is going to be the best Christmas ever!"

"Is it?" Billy grinned at his granddaughter, enjoying her excitement. "Why do you think so?"

"Because Aunt Jackie will be home with the new baby, and we get to see her and Aunt Jackie said I could be especially in charge of her because she knows I did a good job bringing up Tyrone."

" _You_ brought up Tyrone?" asked Billy, holding in a belly laugh with difficulty. "Your mom and dad didn't help at all?"

"Oh Grandpa, you know what I mean!" Sarah wrinkled her nose at him. "But Aunt Jackie says I'm responsible and that I can be her _special_ helper with the baby!"

Billy gave in now and let out one of his deep wheezy chuckles. "Well, you are a very responsible little girl," he answered. "And I'm sure you will be a big help to your Aunt Jackie."

It was true; his granddaughter was absolutely besotted with babies and Jackie had nothing to fear about letting Sarah help out. The only difficulty he could see was that Sarah was going to be have stiff competition from Jeanie who was equally excited to get to spend time with the newest arrival. It was his favorite part of the season, being surrounded by his family and realizing, as he did every year, just how lucky he was. Yes, he thought, it really was going to be the best Christmas ever.

"I'm going to be a babysitter when I grow up," announced Sarah, interrupting his train of thought.

"Really? Now that seems like an interesting job," Billy said solemnly. "But why do you want to be a babysitter?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "Because I like babies, of course. And I like helping people."

"Well, there are a lot of jobs where you'd get to work with babies," he pointed out. "You could be a doctor, for instance. Then you could help lots of children."

"Are there doctors just for babies?" she asked.

"Mm-hmm," he nodded. "But really you can be anything you want to be and still be a mom with your own babies."

"Like Mom is?"

"Exactly." Billy was extremely proud of his eldest daughter, Rose. She'd managed to balance a family and law school and was now working for a very prestigious firm right here in DC. "But not just your Mom – I work with an amazing woman who is one of my best employees and one of the best moms I've ever met."

"So I could be a lawyer like Mom and Dad?" asked Sarah.

"You could – and like your grandpa almost was."

"You're a lawyer?" Sarah asked. "I thought you worked for the government or something."

"I do – but I started out trying to be a lawyer like your mom, went to law school and everything - but then I got a chance to do a job that helped people, so now I do that instead."

"Cool." Sarah made a slurping noise as she finished her drink and lapsed into thought for a few minutes. "Grandpa? Do you think we could do one more thing while we're here?"

"I'm sure we could – what did you have in mind?"

"Well, if we still have time before the picture is ready, can we go get a present for the baby and get some toys for the toy drive?"

"I think that's an excellent idea. What made you think of it?"

"Well, you said you have a job where you help people and I think Christmas must be a special time of year to help people, don't you? I mean, maybe there's someone out there who is extra sad this year and getting a present will make them realize someone likes them and if they're not sad anymore, that might help them be a good person who helps people when they grow up too. That's a good way to help someone, isn't it?"

"That's a very good way, Darling."

"Yeah, I think so too." She jumped to her feet and said, "Let's go, Grandpa!"

As Billy stood up, two young boys moved across his line of vision across the food court, laughing and jostling each other. He had a flash of recognition, and then the younger boy stopped dead, laughing and called out to someone behind him, "You coming, Pops?"

Billy turned to look in the same direction and felt the corners of his mouth turn up at the sight of the lanky, sandy-haired man who was following along behind the boys, laughing and shaking his head.

A small hand tugged at his and Billy turned to smile at Sarah who was dancing beside him. "Christmas is just the best time of year, isn't it? Do you think there are really people like the Grinch who don't like Christmas?"

"Well, I know someone who thought he didn't," admitted Billy as they began to walk toward the toy store. "But just like the Grinch, he met someone who brought him around."

"Was that one of the people you helped?"

Billy's eyes twinkled at her. _Scarecrow, I think we've finally found you a partner_. "Well, I might have helped a little bit."


	17. Picture Perfect

It was when they were starting to unpack the boxes of decorations that the idea took root in Jamie's head. Mom had found the stack of Santa photos from when he and Phillip were little, and she and Grandma had been cooing over them and looking misty-eyed and Lee had started teasing them about it. He and Phillip had managed to put their foot down in the past two years that they were way too old to do Santa photos anymore. It had been hard especially when Mom had made that kind of disappointed face and sighed and made a comment about how her babies were growing up so fast… but he had backed up Phillip in refusing to do them anymore. It was bad enough to have the braces and the glasses and to have a brother who was good at sports and popular with girls, he certainly didn't need to be seen joining a line of crying toddlers at the mall, even if it _would_ make his mom happy.

But this year… this year, they had an ace up their sleeve. This year they had _Lee_. Okay, yeah, so Lee had been around at Christmas last year but back then, he'd just been "Mr. Stetson", a guy Mom had just started to date. Last year, they hadn't even been sure how long he'd stick around but then Mom had that accident out in California and after that, he'd been around _way_ more. And, Jamie had to admit, it had been kind of annoying at first, the way he was always there after she got home from the hospital and if he was honest, he'd been jealous of the way Mom was always so happy to see him, when all Jamie wanted was his mom all to himself. It was one thing to share her with Phillip and Grandma, but she'd almost _died_ and then there was this guy who was always around, acting so protective, like she belonged to him and Mom had been kind of soppy the same way and so yes, he'd been jealous.

Eventually though, even he had been able to see that Lee really loved Mom, like really _loved_ her. Loved her enough to put up with him being sulky and still trying to do things that would include him and Phillip. Showing him how to use the camera, showing up at Phillip's team games, telling them stories about the stuff he'd gotten up to at their age – he'd really done a lot to try and be nice to them. None of it had really worked though – although it had been getting easier – right up until that day a few months ago when Mr. Jones down the street had freaked out on them.

It had been a perfectly normal day, walking back from the school bus stop with Phillip bouncing his basketball and dancing around trying to bug him and they'd gotten into one of their usual little shoving matches, just joking around and he'd tripped, sending his backpack off his shoulder and flying up Mr. Jones' driveway, stopping just short of the car parked there. He'd barely gotten back on his feet and was leaning down to pick it up when Mr. Jones had come barrelling out of the house, screaming blue murder about them being on his property and marking up his car. They'd tried to explain that they hadn't been anywhere near his car, that nothing they'd done had made that scratch, but he just kept yelling that he was going to call the cops and get them arrested for trespassing. They'd been backing up away from him in a panic and were actually in the street, barely missing being hit by a car passing just inches behind them as it went by, when he'd reached out to grab Jamie by the arm. Jamie had frozen, not sure what to do and then Lee had appeared out of nowhere, standing behind them with his arms crossed and telling Mr. Jones in a voice that sounded quiet but somehow really scary that he had better calm down and let Jamie go or there would be _consequences_.

Mr. Jones had let go of his arm, but then he'd gone for even more bluster at that point, saying that if Lee was responsible for them, then he'd better be prepared to pay for the damage they'd done. Jamie had taken one look at Lee's face and although he'd never thought Lee as being dangerous before, he found himself racing to explain that they hadn't _done_ anything and Phillip had as well and then Mr. Jones was shouting them down and then suddenly Lee's hands had come down on their shoulders and squeezed until they'd gone quiet, and then he'd leaned forward a little bit and glared down at Mr. Jones and he'd said in that same scary-as-hell voice, "If Jamie and Phillip say they didn't damage your car, I believe them. And you sure as hell better have proof before you go calling in the police, because your dog is loose without a collar on, your licence plate tags are out of date, and most important, Jamie was on the street on public property when you grabbed him which means you could be brought up on an assault charge. And let me assure you, the state of Virginia has a very poor opinion of people charged with assaulting a minor. And so do I."

He paused to let that sink in and they all watched Mr. Jones go a little pale before he went on, "So are you absolutely sure you saw them damage your car? Or is it just coincidence that the scratch is an exact match for the height of the handle of the garbage can you've left out? Which by the way, is also a ticket because you've left it out too long since garbage collection was yesterday."

There was a long silence and finally Mr. Jones had taken a step back, still red with anger but looking like he knew he was in the wrong.

"I'll take that as a no then," Lee had said calmly. "Okay boys, let's head home – I hear it's pot roast and mashed potatoes for dinner tonight."

Phillip had shot off without needing any further encouragement, but Jamie had still been off-kilter from the whole thing and he'd turned more slowly, feeling shaky. Without a word, Lee had taken his backpack from him and swung it up on his shoulder before dropping an arm around Jamie and starting to walk slowly toward the house. It was then he'd seen the Corvette, at a slight angle in the middle of the road, nowhere near their house, with the driver's side door wide open and the alarm bell chiming. It hadn't made sense for a moment that Lee hadn't taken his usual care parking his pride and joy, and then he'd realized that Lee hadn't parked it at all – it had been his car that has passed behind them moments before and he'd obviously just stopped dead when he'd seen Mr. Jones yelling at them. He turned to look up at Lee, who glanced back down at him and gave him a quick shoulder squeeze before letting go.

"You head on home, I'll just finish parking properly," he said, all trace of that scariness gone from his voice. "Here, take your bag – your mom's waiting."

"Lee? We really didn't touch his car. We never even got close to it." He was babbling but for some reason, Jamie felt like it was really important Lee knew that.

Hazel eyes had looked down with surprise. "I know – you said you hadn't and I believe you."

"You do? I mean, you barely know us – why would you believe us over him?"

Something in what he'd said had made Lee's face light up with a grin, but he wasn't sure what.

"I know you better than you think and besides…" Lee leaned down and rested his hands on his knees so that they were a little more eye-to-eye and said in a conspiratorial tone, "You're Amanda King's son and I know for a fact, she didn't bring up liars." He waited a beat, then straightened up. "Come on, hop in, you can ride the rest of the block with me."

Jamie had nodded and climbed in without another word, but when they got to the house, Mom was on the doorstep, looking worried and hadn't really stopped looking that way, even when she saw them. Jamie had given her a hug on the way in, and she'd hugged him back with a kiss on the top of his head and sent him to wash up but he couldn't help overhearing his mom and Lee talking through the slightly open door of the powder room.

"Phillip says you were quite the scary white knight, Mr. Stetson." She'd been teasing but still a little serious.

"Yeah well, that little toe rag better not try anything like that again – I won't be so nice next time."

"Watcha gonna do, Sweetheart? Call the feds?" Mom's voice was lighter now and Lee's was too as he'd laughed.

"Worse – I'll call his mother. Or yours." That had made Mom really laugh, and it was a nice sound, a sound he hadn't heard enough of since her accident because they'd all been too worried to think anything was funny anymore. He'd made sure to make noise leaving the bathroom because he was pretty sure they were kissing, even more so when they were still hugging a bit and smiling at each other, even with his efforts to alert them. It was the first time he'd really _seen_ the way they looked at each other, the first time he'd really noticed how happy Mom looked when Lee was around.

"Um, thanks for helping us out back there, Lee," he said gruffly and Lee's easy grin had appeared.

"Anytime, Kiddo."

After that, it had been easier and easier to have Lee around. He and Mom still worked a lot of crazy hours but now it seemed like they were trying harder to be around more and he had the feeling that a lot of that was because of Lee. He noticed the way Lee was always so careful with Mom and Grandma, pulling out chairs for them, helping them reach things on top shelves, carrying the heavy stuff, helping in the kitchen… But it also seemed like he really enjoyed being around all of them, not just Mom. He seemed just as happy to spend time out on the driveway shooting hoops with Phillip as he was to hang out with him and talk about things like science experiments or the possibility of building a dark room in the basement.

Even Dad liked Lee and that was probably how they'd all ended up sitting in the family room after Thanksgiving dinner and the football games were over with Dad and Lee teaching them the finer points of poker. It was obvious that they were letting him and Phillip win at first while they were still learning, but somehow, he didn't really know how, he'd grasped the patterns pretty quickly and soon he was winning hands on his own. Lee had looked a little surprised a few times when Jamie had won the hand, but Jamie could tell that he thought it was just beginner's luck. Then, he'd started winning more and more and you could just see Lee getting more competitive – it was kind of fun watching him get riled up.

Jamie couldn't explain it. He wasn't cheating, he just kinda somehow knew what cards were still in the deck. Later Dad would explain the concept of card-counting – which it seemed he'd been doing without knowing it was a thing - and how it could get him into trouble in a real casino, but for now, he just got to enjoy watching the stack of chips pile up in front of him as Lee's got smaller and smaller.

Finally Lee had almost nothing left in front of him to meet Jamie's last raise, but he seemed pretty certain he had a winning hand, so Jamie had teased him, "How about an IOU for a chore to be completed later?"

Lee had readily agreed – and then thrown up his hands in disgust when Jamie had laid down his cards and wiped the floor with him, which had made Mom laugh really, really hard.

"Good thing you didn't try and bet the car this time, Sweetheart."

Phillip had groaned with disgust. "You could have won his car? Way to waste a bet, Wormbrain!"

He really had just meant to hold onto the IOU until the first big snowstorm so that he could make Lee do the shovelling instead, but now he had an even better idea. He was pretty sure it counted as a chore – he knew it was one for him and Phillip – and he knew Lee had a code of honor so he'd probably go along with it, especially if he knew it would make Mom laugh…

* * *

"You want me to do what?" Lee was staring at him with a mix of confusion and disbelief.

"You heard me – and I have an IOU that says you have to do it." Jamie crossed his arms and tried to stare down his nose at him – or rather up his nose at him since Lee was so damn tall.

"That was not the spirit of that IOU – and besides, I still say counting cards is cheating, no matter what your lawyer dad says! You shouldn't even be allowed to use it!"

Jamie held a hand up, cupping his ear. "Is that the sound of Lee Stetson welching on a bet? A bet he entered into willingly and with no strings attached? Tsk, tsk, tsk. That's a terrible example to be setting for two small impressionable boys whose mom you claim you want to marry someday."

That had made Lee bark with laughter, mutter something about learning poker from your father and blackmail from your mother, and then he'd agreed – with conditions. "I will pick you up from school on your lunch hour and do it in the middle of the day so that I can be sure no one I know sees me."

"That's fine," Jamie grinned at him. "It's not like we won't still have photographic evidence when we're done."

"Don't remind me," Lee grumbled. "The things I do for your mother…"

It had been worth it. When that big snowstorm finally came in mid-January, Jamie was perfectly happy to shovel the driveway, still warmed by the look on Mom's face when she'd unwrapped the parcel they'd presented her that night.

"Boys, Christmas is still days away – are you sure you want me to open this now?"

Both of them had nodded vigorously, Lee not so much, although he'd been grinning pretty broadly too. "Oh yeah, you need to open it now – it's going to need to be on display ALL of Christmas!" explained Jamie, shooting a smirk at Lee.

"Maybe even all the way to Valentine's Day!" added Phillip, laughing. "Maybe forever!"

Mom had opened it carefully, finding the slim box for the picture frame and slowly opening it up with a quizzical look at all of them and then stopping to stare at the photo. "Oh. My. Gosh," she'd said and then she'd started to whoop with laughter, struggling to catch her breath before looking at it again and starting all over.

"What is it?" Grandma had asked, coming to look over her shoulder and then she'd begun laughing too.

"How on earth did you let them talk you into this?" Mom had turned to Lee.

"Now wait a minute... why do you think that I didn't do it of my own free will? Or maybe it was my idea!" he protested. "You're just assuming-"

"I called in the poker IOU," said Jamie bluntly, and watched Mom and Grandma collapse laughing again.

He had to admit, it _was_ a really great photo. In the end, Lee had insisted that if it was for Mom, they all needed to be in it, so he and Phillip had leaned up against Santa's throne, but it had been left to Lee to sit on Santa's lap. Well, not really on it since he was so big, but sort of beside him, with his legs draped across the arm of the chair. And then the mall Santa had gotten into the spirit of the thing and suggested Lee should wear a Santa hat too and they had really thought that was going to be the last straw where he'd refuse to do it, but he'd been game after all and pulled it on with only a tiny bit of fake grumbling and a threat to frown in the picture like the Grinch.

But then that little six-year-old waiting to go next had said in a loud voice, "Mommy! That man must have been really really good if he still gets to ask Santa for stuff even when he's so big!" They'd all started to laugh just as the elf had snapped the picture, capturing Lee with his eyes closed and obviously mid-belly laugh and he and Phillip hadn't been much better. The elf had offered to take a new one, but they'd all agreed this was exactly the picture they wanted. They'd quickly bought a frame and had it gift-wrapped and then Lee had dropped them back at school with Mom never knowing a thing about it – until now.

"I can't believe you did this," she was saying now, running a finger along the frame with a look of wonder. "It's beautiful."

"Beautiful?" he and Lee had said at the exact same time and in the exact same tone of disbelief.

"You know what I mean!" Mom had huffed at them.

"I do," agreed Lee, leaning down to kiss Mom on the top of her head. "That's why I have another copy of it over at my apartment. Now who wants more cocoa?"

Dotty had jumped up to go help him, leaving Jamie to watch his mother as she gazed down at the photo, a fond smile still on her face. She looked up and met his eyes. "Thank you, Sweetheart. This means… a lot to me."

He knew she meant more than just the photo, that she understood the intention behind it. He leaned over to give her a tight hug. "Merry Christmas, Mom."


	18. Little Boy Blue

The phone rang shortly after they got walked in the door.

"Who on earth would be calling this late?" asked Dotty, glancing at the clock. "It's almost ten o'clock!"

"It's probably just Lee," replied Amanda, heading for the phone. "Maybe he forgot something."

It was a good guess, and a close guess, but it wasn't Lee.

"Amanda? I hope it's not too late to call. I was just talking to Skip and he said you'd probably only just be getting home."

"No, it certainly isn't, Colonel. We literally just got back from seeing Phillip's play." Amanda finished pulling her coat off with her spare hand and hung it over a kitchen chair.

Robert Clayton chuckled down the line. "Yeah, Skip told me where he'd been. He said he'd enjoyed it although I can't quite picture that being the truth. I was always bored senseless by the school Christmas pageants."

Amanda laughed along with him. "I know exactly what you mean, but we're past the pageant age, thank goodness. Phillip's school is putting on a production of 'Guys and Dolls' and he's one of the gamblers. It sort of ties in with Christmas with that whole Salvation Army theme, you know? It was a great production but it's made my mother all teary-eyed because in the costume, Phillip is the spitting image of my dad in one of his old suits."

"I suppose he would be" agreed the Colonel. "But from how you've described him, I can't imagine Phillip as a musicals kind of guy."

"Well, they needed a lot of boys obviously, for the chorus," explained Amanda, "and the girl he has a crush on was playing Adelaide, so…" she let the sentence trail off and joined the Colonel in laughter.

"Damn if that doesn't sound exactly like something Skip would have done," said the Colonel when he'd finally stopped. "In fact… did I ever tell you about Skip's first Christmas with me?"

Amanda smiled and settled into a chair, ready to enjoy herself. "No Sir, I don't think you ever did."

"Well, I know I told you all he'd say was "no" when I got him," started the Colonel. "But I don't think I ever told you that I wasn't exaggerating. By the time he'd lost Matt and Jennie so young, and then my mother only a year or so later, when he came to me, he wouldn't talk."

"Not at all?" Amanda couldn't picture it. Or maybe she could, that poor lost boy that she still sometimes caught glimpses of.

"Well, I could get a "Yes, Sir" or "No, Sir" out of him, but not much else," recalled the Colonel. "And it was worse at school- his teacher did her best but he just kept his head down and kept to himself. The school even made me take him for psychological testing because they were so concerned about it but that only made it worse. The base shrink thought he had what they called 'selective mutism' and that he'd get better as he got used to people, but I'll admit, that had me worried because I knew he was probably going to have keep changing schools and what if he just never got used to anybody? And then, of course, there are no secrets on an Air Force base, so some of the kids at school got wind of it and he got teased pretty badly about it." The Colonel sighed as he remembered those unhappy days. "I gave the other parents hell for gossiping about it in front of their kids but it was too late by then; he was like a wounded dog, snarling at everyone."

"Like a lone wolf," commented Amanda, tearing up a little as she pictured it. No wonder Lee had such antipathy for psychiatrists.

"Exactly. Anyway, the only person who could get through to him was little Alice Henderson – I told you about her, right?"

"Yes, you did. He got in a fight over her, didn't he?"

"He sure did. Sweetest little thing, that girl. Big brown eyes and always a ray of sunshine. Turns out, even then, he was true to type," he laughed. "Anyway, that first Christmas, the teacher was handing out parts for the Christmas play and I thought she'd have to give him a part like a cow or a sheep or a palm tree or something since he wouldn't talk."

"But she didn't?"

"No, she didn't. Imagine my surprise when he came home with the slip of paper saying he was going to be the Innkeeper."

"Really? That's a pretty important part," exclaimed Amanda. "Was she trying to force him to talk?" She couldn't picture that going well – adult Lee was stubborn enough, seven-year-old Lee must have been worse.

"Well, that's what I thought, so I actually phoned the school and asked her if it was a mistake, and she just laughed and said, no, that I shouldn't worry, and I'd see why on the night."

"So what happened?"

"For starters, it turned out that Alice had been cast as the Innkeeper's Wife, which is probably the only reason he agreed to it. So, it gets to the scene where Joseph and Mary arrive in Bethlehem and they knock on the door of the Inn and Joseph gives his little speech about how they have travelled so far and his wife is so tired and is there any room, and there's this long silence – and I'm not going to lie, I was panicking a little bit – and then Skip looks him up and down and just says "No" and slams the door in their faces."

Amanda collapsed half-laughing, half-crying – she could picture it so clearly. "Oh my Gosh, that teacher was a genius!"

"I know. The audience was laughing so hard, we all almost missed Alice coming back out to tell them that they could stay in the stable instead. And then she had a whole bit where she was finding them blankets and trying to make them comfortable while Skip stood behind her glaring at them. That teacher definitely took all his worst qualities and channeled them perfectly."

"Oh, I wish I could have seen that!"

"Seen it?" snorted the Colonel. "From what I can tell, you're living it!"

"Oh, Colonel!" Amanda laughed. "Lee's nowhere near that bad now!"

"No, he's not," agreed the Colonel. "And I know why – he was like Sky Masterson, just waiting for a good woman to come along and rescue him from himself."

"Oh, Colonel," repeated Amanda, now flushing with emotion.

"It's true and you know it," replied the Colonel. "But even over the phone, I can tell I'm embarrassing you so I'll get back to the real reason for my call. I wanted to say thank you for the invitation for Christmas – it's very kind of you to include me."

"Please tell me there's not a 'but' coming," Amanda sighed.

"Not at all – I'll be there with bells on. I just wanted to bring something for your sons and Skip said you'd have a better idea than he would about what they'd like."

"You don't need to bring anything but yourself," answered Amanda.

"I want to," he answered gruffly. "It's my second chance to get this right, if you know what I mean."

"I do – and thank you for thinking of them," she replied softly. "But they're pretty easy to please – Phillip likes anything with an engine and Jamie is either nose-deep in a book or behind his camera so anything to do with any of that will be fine."

"Well, then I have an idea already," the Colonel answered immediately. "I'll need to check in with some of my friends at Andrews, but do you think they'd like a close-up look at the planes?"

"They'd love it" said Amanda without hesitation. "That would be perfect!"

"Good – with the two of you and your classification levels, it shouldn't be any problem getting them clearance to be out there, although Jamie would have to get his photos vetted to make sure he didn't accidentally get anything classified in there."

"Well, if anyone could, it would be a member of my family!" chortled Amanda.

"You said it first." She could hear the Colonel grinning down the phone line. "Good, well I'll see you in a few weeks then. Good night, Amanda."

"Good night, Colonel." Amanda hung up and looked up at her mother who was moving around the kitchen putting together her nightcap of warm milk with a spike of something extra - apparently it was an Irish cream kind of night – and humming a tune from the show score.

"I assume that was Lee's uncle?" asked Dotty. "He is still coming for Christmas, isn't he?"

"Oh yes – he was just asking about presents for the boys," explained Amanda.

"How kind – Lee must get some of that from him."

Amanda cast her mind back to the numerous arguments she'd watched between the two bull-headed men and stifled a giggle. "He definitely takes after him in a lot of ways," she admitted.

"I'm looking forward to meeting him _properly_ this time," said Dotty, shooting a pointed look at her daughter. "I still can't believe you've known him all this time, even before you were dating – or so you say."

"Oh no, Mother. I really only met him that one time because Lee was desperate for a date to take to dinner. We definitely weren't dating then." She couldn't help smiling at that memory of Lee's tactless plea to help him out that night.

"Oh really?" said Dotty in a tone that suggested she didn't believe a word of it. She picked up her mug of warm milk and headed toward the stairs. "Well, deny it all you want but it must have been the start of something, based on that cat-who-got-the-cream smile on your face right now."

"Mother!"

"I'm just saying, Amanda, that the play tonight had a lot of good advice, if you were listening."

"Oh really?" Amanda repeated her mother's words from a few seconds earlier.

"Oh yes," replied Dotty with a look of pure mischief, as she began to sing on her way upstairs, the words drifting back down to a laughing Amanda. "Marry the man today, Trouble though he may be, Much as he likes to play, Crazy and wild and free…"

Still laughing, Amanda looked around the room at the tree Lee had helped bring home, and the photo with the boys, and gave a little sigh for that little boy of thirty years ago who sometimes still seemed uncertain of his place in her family. "Marry the man today, rather than sigh in sorrow," she sang softly to herself. "Marry the man today… and change his ways tomorrow."

She picked up the phone and dialed. "Hi, Sweetheart. I just wanted to hear your voice."


	19. Backed Up Into A Corner

It wasn't like he hadn't meant to ask her, he just hadn't meant to ask her like that. Not with every eye in the room on him and not like such an idiot. He was never going to live this down. Not at work and definitely never at home.

It was the last big staff meeting before Christmas and Billy had started to wrap up with the last item in the agenda, which was the vacation schedule for the following week. Lee had only been listening with half an ear to the usual backpedalling from everyone who didn't want to have to work over Christmas. For years, he'd been the go-to guy but oddly, no one seemed to be expecting him to work this time.

"Scarecrow, you've got the seniority – I don't expect to see you on the roster," Billy said gruffly. "Or you either, Francine. The youngsters can pick up the slack."

The so-called youngsters – all agents in their late twenties - scowled slightly at that but looked resigned. It wasn't like they hadn't already been aware that they were likely to be stuck with it.

"Oh you can put me on the list if you need to, Billy," said Francine. "I don't have plans to go out west to see my parents this year, so I'll just be kicking around town anyway."

The younger agents had just started to look hopeful that Billy would take her up on that when Lee found himself blurting out, "You should come to Christmas dinner with me and Amanda."

Every head had swiveled to stare at him, including Amanda – he could see her mouth open in an "O" of surprise out of the corner of his eye. It wasn't that she was surprised by the invitation – they'd discussed it after all – but even she hadn't expected him to do it so publicly or in a way that made them sound so much like a couple.

"I should come to Christmas dinner?" repeated Francine slowly. "With you and Amanda?"

"Um, yeah… I mean, she's invited me again this year and uhhhh, you could come as my backup," he said wildly.

"Your _backup_?" Francine echoed him again. She beamed as if he'd just handed her a box of chocolates, then attempted to look serious as she leaned across the table and asked in a mock-serious stage whisper, "My God, Lee, just how bad is Christmas dinner at Amanda's house? Do I need to have guys in a truck outside as well? I mean, it's not like that hasn't happened before. I heard O'Malley spends so much time in that water company truck on Maplewood Drive that he moved his wife and kids to Arlington just to cut down on the commute time."

He could feel Amanda starting to shake beside him, and knew it was only a matter of time before she started to laugh.

"Not backup. I didn't mean backup," he managed to get out, weakly. "I meant... like as my date."

This time it was the hastily bitten back yelp of laughter from Billy that made Amanda start to shake harder. He was surprised she wasn't rattling the table.

"As your _date_?" Francine glanced at Amanda and her smile broadened; whatever she'd seen there, Lee could tell he'd be getting no help from that department. "Okay, so let me make sure I have this straight..." Francine continued. "You want me to come to Amanda's house. With you. For Christmas dinner. With her family. As your _date_?" Francine was milking this for all it was worth – she knew he and Amanda were involved, although not how much – and in a funny twist of fate, this appeared to be all her Christmases come at once.

The entire room was watching them, apparently holding their breath to see how this was going to play out, when Amanda finally rescued him.

"I think that would be lovely. The more the merrier, really," she said cheerfully. "My ex-husband and his new wife are coming, so we already have a crowd. And you won't want to miss Aunt Lillian's chocolate yule log – it's positively decadent."

"Well, if you mean it…" Francine began.

"Of course I mean it," interrupted Amanda. Their rapt audience had just started to relax thinking the entertainment was over when she added, "You two can keep the boys company at the kids' table!"

That really did set Billy off, wheezing with laughter, along with the rest of the room. He finally managed to calm down long enough to dismiss everyone and they'd all stood up to drift back to their desks, laughing and looking over their shoulders with grins that told Lee that the whole Agency would know about it by lunch time. He'd given Billy one last look as he left the room and Billy had met his eyes, gasped out "Backup! She can come as your backup!" and dissolved again, leaving Lee to slink out of the room after Amanda. He knew it wasn't even going to be five minutes before Billy was on the phone to Jeanie to tell her all about it.

"I wish all our meetings were as much fun as that," commented Amanda as they walked across the bullpen. "But maybe next time you could just perform some card tricks instead."

Francine was waiting for them at the elevator. "Don't worry, Amanda, I know you can't possibly have meant Lee to invite me. We can just tell people he was trying to bug me."

"Actually, he was supposed to invite you - just not like that." said Amanda promptly. "We'd already discussed it – I would have mentioned it myself but I thought he must have by now." She paused to punch Lee lightly in the arm, while he nodded confirmation. "You have to come - you're practically family after all. Besides, if I'm inviting my ex, Lee should get to invite his too."

"Come on, it'll be cozy," Lee teased her. "And I really do need backup – Dotty and Lillian are exponentially worse than Dotty alone."

"Well if you really mean it…" Francine almost sounded wistful.

"Francine!" Amanda reprimanded her. "You have to come – poor Lee can't have just made a complete fool of himself for nothing!" She paused, small furrow in her brow. "Except…"

"Except?" Lee and Francine said at the same time.

"Mother has a mind like a steel trap for some things," said Amanda, seriously. "So we are definitely going to have to come with a story about what happened to your chimp, just in case."

"Chimp?" asked Lee, completely thrown off. "What chimp?"

"My chimp. We'll explain on the way up," laughed Francine, pushing him into the elevator.


	20. Silent Night

It was no good trying to hide by the time he realized she'd walked in – he'd been mid-whoop at the touchdown that had finally put the Redskins on the scoreboard in the second quarter and it was only when he'd fallen back against the sofa cushions that she'd spoken.

"Oh, you're home." He'd almost jumped out of his skin at the unexpected voice behind him. He'd twisted around and found Amanda standing in the doorway to the apartment, holding her keys in one hand, a casserole dish in the other and looking slightly confused.

He understood the reason for the confusion – he had, after all, told her not even three hours ago that he was heading into the office to get caught up on paperwork so that it wouldn't be hanging over them during Christmas.

"But it's Sunday dinner and I'm making Beef Wellington – your favorite," she'd sighed. "You were busy all day yesterday helping with that case of Francine's - I haven't seen you since Friday."

"I know, I know," he'd said soothingly. "But if I get all this tidied away, then there's nothing to distract us during Christmas right?"

"Well, how about I come help you then? Many hands make light work and all that."

"No, no, it's okay – I'm just really making sure things are cleaned off my desk, nothing big, nothing I need your help with."

"Okay, if you say so. But we'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too but hey, duty calls sometimes, right? And we'll be together all the time for Christmas, right?"

She'd protested a little more, offering to help but finally she'd agreed that it made little sense for her to come all the way from Arlington just to help him with filing and expense forms, and they'd said good-bye with an exchange of "I love yous" and promises to call later to say good night. Given all of that, her confusion at finding him in his apartment, in comfortable sweats, TV blaring the game and no obvious signs of work anywhere, was completely understandable.

"I was worried you might be hungry if you got back late so I thought I'd bring you some dinner," Amanda was explaining now. "But I guess I didn't need to worry," she went on, gazing at the open bottle of champagne and the bowl of guacamole dip and chips on the coffee table.

For the briefest of moments, he considered lying, considered saying he'd brought work home with him, but he could see her gaze sweeping the room and knew it wouldn't work. "I… umm… I was going to… and then I remembered the Redskins were…"

A look went across her face, a look of sudden comprehension mixed with a flicker of hurt that pierced his heart like a knife. "Amanda…"

"I'll just put this in the fridge and let you get back at it then," she said, moving across the room and disappearing into the kitchen. She re-emerged a few seconds later and bee-lined for the door but by then he was on his feet, intercepting her before she reached it.

"Amanda, no… you don't have to go. You've come all this way, please stay."

It hurt a little bit to see the way she stopped to consider that as if she was debating whether she _wanted_ to stay there, with him, with her _husband_ when it obviously looked so much like he'd been avoiding her. And he knew he deserved that hurt because he knew he'd put that same expression in her eyes.

"Are you sure?" she asked and there was an element to the question in her voice he couldn't quite place.

"Of course I'm sure. You're here and I'm happy to see you and the game isn't that important. Please... stay." This was brutal – he was begging his wife not to leave him over a stupid football game.

Amanda's dark eyes studied him for a moment before she nodded and shrugged off her coat, turning to hang it up. "Okay, I'd like that. But keep the game on – I think Miami could be the dark horse in the AFC and sneak up on them. This could be a Super Bowl preview, for sure."

"Yeah, Marino's pretty good," Lee replied in relief, waiting for her to move back past him to the sofa before asking, "Can I… uh, get you a glass of champagne?"

"No, I'd better not – I'll have to drive home later," she answered, settling down and reaching for a handful of chips.

He came and sat back down, oddly ill at ease with the person he loved more than anyone in the world. She cuddled into him the moment he sat down beside her, so he figured she wasn't too angry, but she definitely knew he'd lied about tonight and he couldn't figure out how to explain it without sounding like a pretty awful person. His mind was still working on that conundrum when half-time started and as the ads began to blare out, Amanda asked, seemingly out of nowhere, "Did you even leave the apartment this weekend?"

"What?"

"I mean, I know you claimed you were helping Francine yesterday, but from the amount of dishes in your sink and takeout containers, it looks more like you've been hibernating here for a while."

"Amanda." He stopped, not quite sure what he should say, because she absolutely had him on the ropes.

She turned to drape her legs over his lap and her arms around his neck. "That's what I thought. So what's up? Is there a problem?"

"No!" he said, maybe too vehemently. "No problem. I just…" He sighed and dropped his head so he didn't have to look at her. "The thing is… I was alone for a long time and I hated it. I mean, I told everyone it was so great being footloose and fancy–free , but deep down, I didn't really enjoy it. And when I met you, you kind of swept me under your wing, you know?" He chanced a look at her and she was watching him, nodding with understanding. "And we got closer, and it was great, having a really good partner, who was also my best friend. And then we got really close-." He paused and watched the corners of her mouth turn up and her eyes light up, but she still didn't say anything. "Really, really close and I finally met the boys and your mother properly and that was great and it was everything I'd hoped for, being in a family, being treated like family… And I love spending time with them, I really do, but…"

"Sometimes you just want to be alone again," she finished for him and he nodded, grateful she understood. "So why didn't you just say that?" she asked in disbelief.

"How am I supposed to say that?" he asked incredulously. "How do I say 'Hey Honey, I'd like to hide in my apartment for a few days and not talk to anyone and not shower and eat nothing but junk food and enjoy the peace and quiet' without it sounding like the old me?"

Amanda leaned forward and rested her forehead on his and took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll grant you, it would have sounded bad if you'd actually said that, so maybe we need a code for times when you feel this way."

"A code?"

"Yeah, like when Daddy used to go down to the workshop in the basement or when Mother had one of her long hot baths. It was the way they said they wanted to be alone for a while and not to disturb them. Everyone feels like that sometimes, Sweetheart – you don't need to make up a whole covert operation just to get some quiet time."

"I don't?" Lee looked relieved as Amanda shook her head. "I thought it would hurt your feelings but lately it's been a little bit overwhelming, you know? All the Christmas stuff."

"I know – and I was amazed how well you were dealing with it and looking like you were enjoying it."

"I was enjoying it! I am enjoying it!" he interrupted her. "It's just been…"

"Sweetheart, stop - I get it. Two years ago you were still pretending that you were happy to spend Christmas like this..." She waved her hand at the coffee table and went on, "And last year, you missed most of it, worrying about Bernie and then worrying about meeting the family so that was stressful and now this year, we were all so excited to include you that we've been making a huge deal about trees and shopping and decorating… Even the boys say the house looks like Santa threw up in there."

Lee couldn't hold in the belly laugh that image provoked. "Yeah, but I _liked_ doing all those things," he said. "But then it got to be Friday and we only had a week until Christmas and this weekend was the last quiet time before that all hits…"

"And you wanted to be by yourself," repeated Amanda, smiling.

"That sounds awful, like I'm avoiding you or something. And I'm not! Not really!"

"Of course you're not," she said leaning in to kiss him. "Okay, so here's the thing – I have something to confess… I love Phillip and Jamie more than almost anything, but sometimes I don't want them around. Sometimes I just want to be completely alone in a quiet place and not have to think about anyone or anything else."

"You do?" Lee seemed doubtful, like he thought she was just trying to make him feel better.

"Of course I do! Everyone does! You know, when the boys were really little and Mother's Day would roll around and Joe would ask what I'd like as a present and I always used to say, "I'd like you to take them out somewhere so I can be completely alone in my own house," and he never got what I meant. He'd say things like "Well, how about a spa day? Or a weekend away?" and I could never get through to him that I wanted to be in my own house, in my own chair and just be alone to enjoy it. No one asking for anything, no sudden crashes of something breaking, or worse, long silences that said they were probably doing something they shouldn't. I wanted to not have anyone asking what was for dinner. And to not have to make dinner at all when all I really wanted was a peanut butter sandwich over the sink."

"You really do get it," Lee said in amazement.

""I really do," she grinned. "That's why I was going to leave earlier – because I figured you were still in hermit mode."

"No, I was really happy to see you but I thought you were probably angry with me for lying."

Amanda traced his jaw with a fingertip. "No, I wasn't angry – a little hurt maybe but I got over that when you asked me to stay."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, pulling her closer. "I'm still not good at this yet."

"It does take practice," she chuckled as her lips traced his cheek. "We need to remember not to rush you so you don't get the bends from family pressure. I mean, if anyone should be able to come up with a code phrase, it's us, right?"

"Right," he agreed, nibbling her ear gently. "Let's come up with something later. I have a better idea for what we should be doing now."

"Are you sure you don't want to be alone with your better idea? I wouldn't want to get in your way if you had big plans for the evening," she murmured as she licked the pulse point just under his collar.

"Nope, you are a very necessary component to this plan," said Lee with mock-seriousness.

"Necessary?" she teased, even as she lay back along the sofa, pulling him with her.

"Maybe not strictly necessary," he admitted, provoking a gurgle of laughter from Amanda as he began dropping kisses along her cheek. "But very welcome… and wanted… and sexy… and-"

Amanda stopped him with a finger on his lips and a look of mischief. "Lee, Sweetheart?"

"Yes?"

"Be quiet."


	21. Tis Better to Give

Lee was wandering past Francine's desk on his way from Billy's office to his own, when he noticed the small box of golden chocolate coins sitting on her desk.

"May I?" he asked, already reaching.

"Hands off!" she snapped, slapping his hand lightly. "They're a gift." She moved the box a little out of his reach. "You know better than that."

"Oh I do, I really do," he agreed, teasing her. "So have you got a secret Santa or something? I thought that didn't happen until next week."

"Something like that," she shrugged and continued pretending to ignore him.

Well, well, lucky you," he smirked and carried on into the hallway.

* * *

"Isn't this the new Tom Clancy? In hardback? Someone's feeling flush with money," Lee teased her, picking the novel up off her desk. "Did you get a Christmas bonus the rest of us didn't?"

"It's a gift," she growled, taking it back out of his hands and putting it down on the desk with a thud.

Lee's eyes narrowed as she blushed slightly. "My, oh my, someone's popular," he grinned

"I've always been popular, Stetson," she smirked at him. "And some of us haven't been acting normal and boring lately."

"Touché." Lee held his hands up in surrender and winked before walking away to chat with Billy.

* * *

"Someone gave you a Rubik's cube?" Lee picked up the box to study it.

"Looks like it." Francine didn't look up from her computer screen.

"Let me guess – it was a gift."

"Don't you have better things to do than hang around my desk and bug me, Lee?"

"Oh I'm sure I do, but this is turning out to be way more fun."

"Put it down and go bug Amanda instead. She still likes you."

* * *

"Mmm, someone in here has gotten a new aftershave," Amanda muttered to Francine, as she sat down beside her at the staff meeting. "It makes for a nice change."

"Yeah," she answered. "Ralph Lauren. One of my favorites." She gave Lee a death glare across the table as he smothered a snort of laughter.

"You've started wearing men's cologne, have you?" he smirked. He leaned forward a bit and pretended to sniff the air. "It does seem to suit you though."

"That is not what I meant, and you know it. In fact... didn't I give you some when we were dating? No wonder Amanda likes it."

There was a ripple of laughter around the table as everyone watched the verbal tennis match.

"Well, you do like to mark your men," he shot back, making even Amanda snort. He leaned back and surveyed the room. "But I changed brands a few years ago. So now the question is... who…?"

"That would be me," muttered Beaman from the end of the table. "It was a gift."

"Ohhhh…" Lee grinned, raising an eyebrow at Francine.

"Shut up," said Francine.

"Did I say anything?" he said in an innocent tone.

"You were going to – I can tell. We know Efraim has excellent taste in women – maybe his girlfriend has excellent taste in aftershave."

"Well, I think it's lovely. You're lucky to have such a thoughtful friend, Efraim," said Amanda, putting an end to the conversation – and Beaman's strangled noises of embarrassment - with all her maternal skills.

* * *

"And after the candles are lit, then what?" Lee had arrived just in time to hear Francine's question to Beaman.

"Well, then we'll eat," Efraim laughed. "And play games."

"Oh Francine, it can't have been that long since your last date that you've forgotten that part, can it? Soft light, bottle of wine…. A nice game of backgammon…" he teased. He looked at Efraim who was looking even more embarrassed than usual. "Wait a minute… Is this where all those presents have been coming for the last week? Beaman, have you secret Santa'd your way into finally getting Francine to go on a date with you?"

Efraim looked from Lee to Francine, suddenly tongue-tied. "I... what?"

"Why don't you go back to work, Efraim and I'll see you later. Four o'clock, right?" Francine waited for him to nod, then made a shooing motion. He gulped once, looked back and forth between the two of them, then turned tail and took off down the hallway.

"You can be _such_ a jerk!" Francine hissed at Lee, then she also turned and walked off in the opposite direction, heels clicking on the tiled floor of the classroom level like an audible testament to her annoyance.

"Aw, come on – you're still getting a romantic dinner tonight! Why are you mad at me?" Lee called after her.

Francine stopped dead, whirled and gave him a death glare. "Jerk!" she spat out again and then she was gone.

"What did I do?" he asked the empty corridor, honestly puzzled. He'd teased Francine like this a hundred times before and never gotten this reaction. Even Efraim had been getting used to being teased – he and Lee had become good enough friends since they'd worked together to rescue Francine last spring that he usually barely reacted to that kind of guy humor anymore.

"Yeesh – everyone's so touchy," he continued to talk out loud as he headed for the elevator. "So much for everybody being in a holiday mood."

It was several steps later when the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "Oh, hell," Lee muttered, stopping dead and slapping his forehead. He wheeled and headed back down the corridor to the training classrooms, peering in every door until he found Efraim, thankfully alone.

"Hey," he said, uncomfortably. "I, uhhh, think I might owe you an apology."

Efraim leaned back in his chair and surveyed him. "Figured it out, huh?"

"Only after Francine told me I was a jerk and stormed off and I wasn't sure why," Lee admitted sheepishly. "You were talking about Hanukkah candles, weren't you?"

"Got it in one," smiled Efraim, tossing a rolled-up ball of paper at him. "Not exactly romantic."

"No," agreed Lee. "She was right – I'm a jerk."

"A jerk with a one-track mind apparently," Efraim nodded. "Some things never change."

"I hear candles and food and that's definitely where my brain goes."

"Well, the candles only last about half an hour and the food is potato pancakes and jelly donuts, accompanied by my over-excited nephews, soooo…"

"Not romantic."

"Not at all."

"But you still managed to get Francine to agree to come over for it? Did all those little presents actually turn out to be the way to her heart?"

Efraim gave him a huge grin. "Ah well, you're not the only one who's just figured something out. You see, I haven't given Francine anything – it would never occur to me to get a nice gentile girl a Hanukkah gift."

"But she had all those things on her desk… the chocolate, the book, the… oh my God!" Lee smacked his forehead again. "She wasn't getting presents, she was giving them to you. She was your Secret Santa. I mean, not Santa, obviously..."

"Wow, keep digging there, Stetson – this is impressive. And yeah, I had no idea where they were coming from until you opened your big mouth," Efraim beamed. "I thought it was probably just some recruits sucking up."

"So I owe her an apology too," Lee sighed. He looked up at Beaman with a rueful expression, then dropped his head back down, shaking it sorrowfully.

"Here I was, thinking it was Hanukkah and apparently it's Yom Kippur," Efraim mocked him.

Lee lifted his head and squinted at him. "You're hilarious."

"I am, aren't I?" grinned Efraim happily. "And even better, I'm not the one she's pissed at right now."

"You're right there. This is going to require some Olympic level grovelling." Lee watched him spin the Rubik's cube on the tip of his finger like a Harlem Globetrotter with a basketball. "You know, Francine's a bit like one of those," he offered.

Efraim looked up at him suspiciously, waiting for the punchline. "Let me guess – she's twisted? Has sharp edges? Oh wait, I know – she's annoying."

"Actually I was going to say, she's got a lot of sides but she's worth figuring out." He sighed deeply. "And now I better figure out how to get her to forgive me for being a jerk."

"Well do it quick. I need her in a good mood before she meets my family tonight."

"Family, huh? Lee whistled. "I knew she's loyal enough to her friends to take a bullet for them, but a family dinner? She must _really_ like you."

"I offered her prey," Efraim smiled. "She's going to slay some dragons for me."

"That sounds more like her," chuckled Lee. "Well, wish me luck – I'm going to need it."

"Bet I can solve this before you can get her calmed down," Efraim called after him, waving the cube in one hand

"I bet you can too," admitted Lee from the doorway. "This is going to require a _lot_ of chocolate."


	22. Eighth Night

**A/N:** I decided to time these stories to real events as close as I could to when they happened in 1987, and in 1987, Hanukkah was a bit later than this year so apologies if this seems "late". And a huge thank you again to Raizelinplaid for help with the "technicalities".

* * *

"Ready?" Efraim asked as Francine stood up from her desk and lifted her coat from the stand.

"Of course," she answered. "You said 4 o'clock – and we can't be late and miss the lighting ceremony, now can we?"

"That would sort of negate the purpose of the evening," he agreed, helping her on with her coat. "Oh wow," he added, seeing her reach to pick up three gift bags. "You really do not need to bring gifts."

"Well, one of them is for your mother for letting you invite me, and the other one is just something I picked up for your nephews... but this one isn't from me," she grinned as she handed it to him, "This one is a bottle of Manischewitz wine from Lee to suck up for this afternoon."

Efraim had to chuckle at that memory. "Well, he did say the evening needed a nice bottle of wine. I wish you could have seen him slinking back to find me and apologize – he normally only gets his tail between his legs like that when Amanda tells him off."

"Well, I made him grovel for a while before I let him off the hook," Francine admitted. "But he really was sorry – that's not something he'd normally tease anyone about, you know."

"Yeah, I know – it couldn't have been more than few minutes before he was back to say he was sorry – and I totally get why his brain went there, given our conversation about candles and games."

"Well, his juvenile sense of humor went where it always goes," she explained.

"Think that will get better or worse the more he hangs out with Amanda's sons?" asked Efraim, leaning over to press the elevator button.

"I'll let you know after I have Christmas dinner with them," dimpled Francine.

"As his backup? Or his date?" Efraim chortled. "I have to hand it to the guy - he's having a really bad month for embarrassing himself."

"Maybe that's his gift to the rest of us," she replied.

"Well, if you can put up with him, I'm hoping that means you can cope with my brothers," he grimaced. "They can make Stetson look like an angel."

"Efraim," she reprimanded him gently, "Do you seriously think I can't handle four grown men?"

"You're right - what was I thinking?" he chuckled. "Maybe it's them I should have warned."

"What? And ruin all my fun?" she quipped. "You said you needed a date to knock their socks off and you have come to the queen of putting men in their place. They are going to be quivering shades of their former selves by the end of the evening."

"Oy vey," Efraim dropped his head, shaking it from side to side in mock sorrow. "What have I got myself into?"

"Well, it can't be any worse than the time Lee dragged Amanda along as his fake girlfriend to meet his uncle."

"You're kidding."

"Oh no – let me tell you all about it..."

* * *

They paused on the steps of the house, Efraim reaching to touch the small metal case on the door frame and then bring his finger to his lips, before giving her a quick sideways look.

"That's a pretty mezuzah," Francine said easily, eyes crinkling when she saw his surprise that she knew what it was. "Don't worry," she added, "I know not to touch it."

"You do?"

"You'd be surprised at some of the things I know," she smiled at him. "And right now, I know there are about twenty munchkins all pretending they're not checking us out from the window behind me."

Efraim let his eyes travel past her shoulder – she wasn't wrong, there were at least five of his nephews making faces at him. "Yep, that would be the progs," he muttered.

"Progs?"

"It's the collective noun for the progeny," he explained. "Are you really prepared for this?"

"Children, huh? It's worse than I thought," she teased him. "But seriously, we're on the doorstep – we can't back out now."

"Well if you're sure..." Efraim turned and opened the door. "Ladies first."

The decibel level almost hit Francine like a brick wall, but along with the sounds of merriment, there was the absolutely mouth-watering smells of family cooking – it took her straight back to Moline's kitchen and her childhood - except for that wall of noise. Her own childhood had been one of silent rooms and dinner conversation that was expected to be intellectual, stimulating and oh- _so_ -tedious. But this family – it was obviously the exact opposite- the room appeared to be wall-to-wall people and they were all talking at once with boisterous bursts of laughter and small children running everywhere.

"Efraim means 'fruitful' but my brothers appear to be competing for the title by seeing who can produce the most kids," he muttered in her ear. "Eight so far and all boys."

"Ma! Efraim's here! And he actually brought a girl!" shouted someone and the next second, a tiny whirlwind of a woman burst out of the kitchen to envelop him in a hug.

"Ma! Quit it!" he squirmed out of her embrace, turning her to face Francine. "Ma, this is my friend, Francine Desmond. Francine, this is my mother, Ruth."

"I am so pleased to meet you," Mrs. Beaman smiled up at her, before giving her son a sly look. "Especially since Efraim has never mentioned you before last week." She gave Francine a little wink that Efraim couldn't see and Francine pressed her lips together trying not to laugh.

"Ma!" groaned Efraim. "Could you not?"

"I'm very pleased to meet you too," said Francine, smoothly. "Thank you so much for including me in your family celebrations. I brought you a little something as a thank you." She offered the first gift bag to Mrs. Beaman. "I wish I could claim credit but well… my family's housekeeper, Moline, she's retired now but she still lives in the area and when I told her I was coming here tonight, she insisted I bring some of her specialty."

Mrs. Beaman cracked open the pastry box and inhaled. "Is this chocolate babka?"

Francine nodded. "Well, yes and no – it's Moline's Southern version of something very close to it – but she always made it for us for Christmas and I thought you'd enjoy it."

"I'm sure we will." Efraim's mother was living up to her surname, beaming at the pair of them. "That is so sweet of you."

"Oh, and this is for the children," Francine added. "It's chocolate dreidels."

"Oh goodness, you really know your way to a boy's heart," laughed Mrs. Beaman.

"Or a girl's," added Efraim who seemed to have finally found his voice again.

Right at that moment, an arm wrapped itself around his neck and he was hauled into the chest of an equally tall man who was roughly rubbing his head. "Effy! You made it! And you really did bring a girl! I thought for sure you were making her up."

Efraim pulled himself free with a muttered curse and straightened up. "Francine, this is my brother Aaron."

"I'm the oldest," said Aaron, leaning in to shake her hand. "Effy here is the baby. We call him the Accident."

"Yes, he mentioned he had a big family. So different from me being an only child," said Francine giving him a bright smile and oozing charm. "So are all your brothers here tonight, Sweetie?" she asked, archly.

Efraim almost couldn't restrain the start of surprise he gave at hearing the endearment. "Uh, yes, I think so." He turned to look around the room and then began pointing them out. "That's Ben, that's Caleb, and the one in the corner with the kids hanging on him who oddly enough looks exactly like him, is his twin, David. I'll introduce you to everyone else in a bit, but it's better to try and figure everybody out in small doses. Or not at all – you pick." He gave her a quick wink.

"Aaron, Ben, Caleb, Daniel," she repeated. "Wait a minute…"

"Ah, you've caught me," giggled Mrs. Beaman beside her. "When we first came to America after the war, one of the first movies I ever saw was 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'. I already had Aaron and Ben and I was pregnant with the twins at the time and the idea just took."

"And Effy here drew the short straw and got named after the guy who was a ballet dancer," said Aaron, punching him in the arm.

"Well, that's not such a bad thing. I know I had a huge crush on Mikhail Baryshnikov back in the day. Ballet dancers are pretty hot," said Francine, still smiling but not quite as warmly as before. "And funnily enough, they're almost always underestimated by men."

Aaron blinked, then turned to his brother. " _Holy shit, Ef, where'd you find this one? She's gorgeous, funny and way, way out of your league. Are you sure you didn't bring Cabe's date by mistake?"_

" _Shut up, Aaron."_

"Boys, boys – you know it's rude to speak Hebrew in front of guests," said a new voice. An almost identical version of Efraim turned to greet Francine. "Welcome to our home, Miss Desmond – I'm Harold, Efraim's father." Now, face on, she could see that the signs of age that showed the difference between Efraim and his father, but as she glanced around, she could see that he was the one who looked most like the family patriarch. "Pardon my sons' rudeness- you might think they were brought up in a barn, but I assure you they weren't." His eyes twinkled behind his glasses and Francine liked him immediately.

"Oh, I would never think that for a moment, Sir," she replied. "Efraim is always so thoughtful to me. So dependable and… sober." She couldn't resist sneaking a look at Efraim who flushed scarlet at the last part.

"Glad to hear it," answered Harold. "I want to hear all about how you two met later but now…" he glanced at his watch – "It's time to light the candles. Gather round, children," he went on, not really raising his voice but somehow managing to bring the room to silence.

Francine gave Efraim's hand a squeeze along with a nod of the head and went to stand along the wall where she could observe without getting in the way. After an initial check over his shoulder that she was settled, she watched as Efraim lost himself in the timeless ritual, watching his father lead the blessing, the _bracha_ , over the menorah. Having lit the shamash candle, his father invited each of his grandsons over to light one of the candles. First was the smallest grandson, Nathan, who had to be lifted up and helped by his father, Ben, the small boy grinning from ear to ear with glee that he was old enough this year to take part in the ceremony and Ben looking equally proud. This was the brother Efraim had mentioned was his favorite, she remembered, the one who was usually the one to step in when the twins' fraternal teasing had gotten too much. Each child stepped forward to take part and soon the room blazed with the light of the menorah and love of the family. It was not a long ceremony, but it was moving to Francine and she enjoyed seeing Efraim so relaxed and unguarded, caught up in family and tradition – he was rarely completely relaxed around her, even now that they were friends. When it was done, and he turned to find her again, she couldn't help smiling at him and watched his face light up with a grin in return.

" _So out of your league."_

" _Does she turn your lights off and on for the Sabbath?"_

" _I'm pretty sure she turns something on."_

" _No kidding – I should take a shot at her – she can't seriously want to have hamburger when she could have steak…"_

 _"Shut up - she's my friend and you're being assholes."_

 _"Oh I get it now - she's not even rolling your matzo balls at all, is she? Did you bribe her to come here? Does she think the gelt is real money?"_

 _"You can date all the moronic bimbos you want but that woman is worth ten of you! One more crack out of you and..."_

 _"What? You'll computer nerd me to death? Gimme a break."_

She could see Efraim's face hardening from time to time as the twins talked and laughed between themselves, but she pretended not to notice, concentrating instead on charming his parents.

"So you know each other from work?" asked his mother, passing her a plate of rugelach.

"Yes – we've known each other a few years but only recently started dating," said Francine. "He started to pursue me and he was just so… touching." Her eyes met Efraim's and he lifted his hands in mock surrender. "How could I resist?"

" _Easily I would have thought."_

The burst of laughter from his brothers was instantly quelled by a look from their mother and a curt " _Enough!"_

" _Thanks, Ma."_

Francine pretended not to notice the interruption. "It's so nice to date someone like Efraim when Washington is so full of phonies – you know the kind, the ones who think they're a big deal because they work on Capitol Hill and that a girl will fall all over them because they wear expensive suits? Like any real woman is going to be impressed by a lobbyist when they're _so_ boring!"

Mrs. Beaman looked like she was trying hard not to laugh, but she did sneak a look at Efraim who was watching Francine with an expression of gratitude and awe.

"And I bet he hasn't even told you about how he helped save me from being kidnapped by a madman." Francine knew that his family knew he worked for an intelligence agency, even if they didn't know the details.

"Now, you know that's not true! I didn't save you – Lee saved you," he interrupted.

"Lee was only at the right place at the right time because of all your work on the computer," she corrected him. She turned back to his mother. "He's a genius on those things – there's no one that can hold a candle to him at work."

"Cut it out," he muttered.

"Sweetie," she looked at him wide-eyed. "If you won't toot your own horn, I have to do it for you."

She could see him struggling with the concept, but then his mother squeezed his arm and smiled at him. "I think it's so nice to hear about you from your friends, Dear. You'd never tell us these things."

"He is far too modest," agreed Francine. "I honestly don't know what we'd do without him. And the recruits are all terrified of him."

She could see the brothers who were still within earshot exchanging looks of disbelief, even Ben.

"You can be very proud, Mrs. Beaman. You have a fine son." She purposely left that singular.

"You really must call me Ruth," said his mother. "Because I think we're going to be _friends_. Now come into the kitchen where it's quieter and tell me all the stories he'll never tell himself."

"I'd be happy to, Ruth," answered Francine, standing up to follow her out of the room. "I could talk about Efraim all day." She made sure to reach up and caress his cheek with a wink as she left and enjoyed the long "whoooo-hooo" sound that followed her departure.

"I'm sorry about my sons," said Ruth. "They're not bad individually but they can be a giant pain in the ass when they're all together."

"Boys will be boys," said Francine lightly. "Now, is that more sufganiyot I see over there?"

"It is." Ruth brought the plate to the kitchen table. She looked around to make sure no one else was listening. "Now I know you two aren't really dating - Efraim never lies to me - but I can see you're good friends so... tell me everything."

* * *

Efraim didn't manage to pry her loose from her mother's clutches for another hour, not that she noticed the passage of time, too busy enjoying his mother's stories about him as a small boy and storing them up to tease him with later. Aaron and Ben's wives came to join them along with David's girlfriend and since Ruth was just as happy to share embarrassing stories about their husbands as well, the kitchen was soon competing with the children's noise levels because of the raucous laughter.

"Honey, are you ready to go?" Efraim's hand came down on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. "I think you've had to put up with my family long enough." He was already dressed for outside and holding her coat.

She looked up and caught the little furrow on his forehead and a grim expression that suggested that actually he was the one who had enough of his family – or at least his brothers.

"Sure, Sweetie." She stood up and rested her hand on his arm. "I am a bit tired. And your mother's wonderful cooking has almost put me into a sugar coma. I'm so full, I'll probably pass out in the car."

" _I knew it – that's got to be the only way he can get a shiksa like that into bed."_ Caleb was almost knocked over by the slap to the back of his head from his father and Efraim started forward, stopped only by Ben who stepped in front of him and murmured something too quiet for her to hear. Whatever it was, it calmed him down enough to unclench the fist he'd unconsciously made and she breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn't going to end up in the middle of a family fight.

On the other hand, she could tell from the look on his parents' face that they were equally as furious as Efraim and the thin-lipped looks they were shooting at their other boys didn't bode well for what was going to happen next. Well, she'd behaved all night, and now it was time to deliver on her promise before they left. She gave Efraim a supportive smile and slid an arm around his waist before turning to his parents.

" _Thank you so much for including me this evening. It was so… enlightening to finally meet all these brothers he's described so accurately_ ," she said in flawless Hebrew. _"Efraim tells me you're leaving for Florida on Friday so I'll wish you a good trip and maybe I can take you for coffee and get more stories when you're home again?"_

There was a long pause while his mother took in what she'd said and then, " _I would be delighted to have coffee with you_ ," said Ruth, her face breaking out into a huge smile. " _I told you we were going to be friends."_

" _Well, I'm glad you think so. I was a little nervous about making a good impression tonight since Efraim is so way, way out of the league of a shiksa like me." _

She looked over at his brothers as she repeated that harsh insult with extra emphasis and to her satisfaction, Caleb went pale and took an involuntarily step backward. The silence in the kitchen stretched out for so long that she could almost hear Efraim's brothers' mentally replaying every other insult they'd said out loud that night and then Harold started to laugh loudly and came forward to wrap Francine in a bear hug.

" _I knew my boy had good taste in his friends."_

"Good night, Ma. I'll be back in the morning to take you and Poppa to the airport, okay?" Efraim leaned down to give his tiny mother a hug, before turning to stare balefully at his scarlet-faced brothers for a moment and then sweeping Francine out of the house. He didn't say another word until they were in the car.

"How?" was all he said.

"Well, my parents think I spent 1978 on a kibbutz," Francine said cheerfully. "But actually I was getting Mossad training and so, of course, I had to learn Hebrew. And I've kept it up because it's useful in the field since most people don't speak it."

"You understood _everything_ my brothers said all night?" he asked in a strangled voice.

"Oh yeah. You were right about Caleb being a jerk."

Efraim dropped his head onto the steering wheel. "Oh my God, I am so sorry. I'm used to them all being assholes but I had no idea…"

"Well I also heard you defending me like my very own white knight, so that was nice, and your mother is really sweet." He still looked miserable and she punched him lightly in the arm. "Oh come on, it was fun, and I could have told them where to go in the first five minutes and used some pretty specific Israeli Army slang to do it, but there were children present and then we also wouldn't have had that excellent payoff just now. Did you see Caleb's face? I think he may have wet himself," she said with satisfaction. "And your parents _love_ me."

"They're not the only ones," he replied with real feeling. "I thought I was just going to enjoy having the prettiest girl in the room but that was… just awesome." He looked over and finally started to laugh. "Oh man, my parents must be ripping them new ones. They were already in trouble but now that everyone knows you understood them…"

"Glad I could help. You can consider that your eighth present," she grinned. "It really was fun. We should do it again." He was laughing too hard to respond now. "In fact, didn't you invite me to your nephew's bar mitzvah once?"

"Probably," he answered. "Apparently I've asked you to move to Greece with me to raise goats, so why wouldn't I have invited you to a bar mitzvah?"

"Because all your nephews are way too young? The first one won't even be 13 for at least another two years!"

"Ah well, you see, that was just forward thinking. You know - book you so far in advance that you couldn't possibly have an excuse to get out of it."

"Wow, I've really been underestimating your deviousness. But I don't think we should wait two years for another evening out, do you?"

Efraim stared at her, not entirely certain she wasn't getting ready to pull the football away like Lucy with Charlie Brown. "Really?"

"Really," she answered. She started to smile even more broadly. "You could come for Christmas at Amanda's. You know she'd be happy to have you."

"Knowing Amanda, she probably would but I can't, since I'm on the roster at work." He shrugged at her look of disappointment. "Well, it doesn't bother me or Rosenstein if we work Christmas and Billy never makes a big deal about it but he always makes sure we're cleared from the roster for days like Yom Kippur."

"That sounds like him," she nodded. "So New Year's Eve instead then?"

Efraim stared at her for a moment, trying to decide if she was serious before finally starting to smile. "Yours or mine?"

"Well, let's start with mine. Rosh Hashanah is months away and your mother will be so disappointed if I have to tell her our next date isn't until September." She reached over and ruffled his hair. "Happy Hanukkah, Efraim."

He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. "Merry Christmas, Francine."


	23. A Visit from Saint Nick

"No Efraim this year?" asked Amanda looking around the room where the Agency Christmas Eve party was in full swing.

"No, he took the morning off to drive his parents to the airport and since he's on duty tomorrow, Billy told him to take the rest of the day unless he really wanted to come to the party." Francine was busy loading her plate with the very best goodies from the table.

"You seem to know a lot about his movements," teased Amanda. "But it sure will be a duller party without him providing the usual entertainment."

"Oh we don't need Efraim here to have fun," smirked Francine. "Not when we have Lee ready and able to put his foot in it again."

It was true – the story of how Francine had been invited to Christmas dinner as, in Lee's words, his "backup", had flown around the Agency and he'd spent the week laughing it off through gritted teeth. Amanda had come in for her fair share of teasing as well, with questions about whether Scarecrow thought her old Arlington Bombers jacket meant she was in cahoots with a gang of bad guys, but Lee had definitely borne the brunt of it. It didn't matter how much he explained it away as a slip of the tongue, it was the fact that he'd invited an ex-girlfriend to his current girlfriend's house that caused most of the merriment – especially since it was painfully obvious to everyone that he was still deluded enough to think no one knew he and Amanda were dating at all.

"I'm not even sure he's coming downstairs," Amanda answered shaking her head. "You know what he's like."

Francine nodded. "Better than he used to be, though."

"Oh he's showing up," said Billy at Amanda's elbow. "He's under orders."

"You've ordered him to come and have fun?"

"Something like that," Billy chuckled wheezily. "I told him Santa was coming with the bonus checks and he had to be here in person to get it."

"He fell for that?" said Francine. "He thinks our ever-decreasing tiny budget is going to extend to bonuses?"

"I'm sure he didn't. He just likes to get to grumble about it." He shot a grin at Amanda. "You know what he's like."

Amanda smiled serenely and didn't answer. Billy had told them months ago that he was fine with them having a relationship and then he had stepped back and left them to it without another word. If memos about senior positions at State Department happened to find their way to the Q Bureau more often, or if she found herself pre-approved for training that more and more paved the way for her to gain seniority… well, who knew why? She still felt bad that they'd kept their marriage a secret from him, but if there was one thing she'd learned from being a spy – the fewer people who were in on a secret, the less chance it would get out.

"Ho ho ho!" boomed a voice from the doorway to the bullpen. "Merry Christmas, boys and girls!" They all turned in time to see Santa Claus himself walk in.

"Bet you're glad you're not stuck with that job this year," Francine nudged Billy with her elbow.

"Yes, but who is?" he asked in confusion. "I thought it was going to be Samuels from Cryptography but he's over by the punch bowl."

Santa was working his way through the crowd, shaking hands and handing out small packages. Amanda smiled to herself, certain she knew who it was, and waited for him to come closer. The jolly old elf took his time getting close to them, stopping to joke with the girls from the steno pool, and making them blush, before finally turning to greet the trio of friends.

"Well, Merry-" Amanda stopped dead. She'd been sure it was Lee under all the padding, but it was dark brown eyes that twinkled out at her from under the bushy white brows.

"Why, Amanda Jean King, have you forgotten how the rest of it goes?" Santa teased her in a gruff voice.

"Of course not, Santa, I just… Merry Christmas," she answered, still studying him. It was obviously a younger man – the rosy cheeks that peeked out over the beard and the laugh lines around the eyes were enhanced with make-up but she couldn't shake the feeling she knew who it was under all that.

"I should hope so – I wouldn't want to have to put you on the naughty list," teased Santa.

"Oh I'm pretty sure she's on that already," said Francine, cheerfully. Amanda noticed that she was also studying him carefully. "I've learned the hard way you shouldn't underestimate a housewife."

"Now, now Francine. You're going to slip off the nice list if you're not careful. And Santa was so impressed that you'd finally made it on there this year."

"Well, as delightful as that may be, I don't think it will be good for my reputation in our circles if anyone were to think I would stoop to being nice."

"Don't worry – your secret is safe with me," chuckled Santa. "But maybe you should get your present now, while you're still on there." He lifted his sack onto the table and began to dig through it, amusing his audience by setting aside packages that were tagged with things like "For Leatherneck – please open outside for everyone's safety" and "Fred – who has narrowly missed getting coal - again". With a grunt of satisfaction, Santa pulled out a golden box and handed it to Francine whose face had lit up. "No need to tell you what this is."

"Oh Santa Baby! You know you can hurry down my chimney anytime if you bring me the Ecstasy Assortment!" exclaimed Francine, with a smile. She leaned forward to give him a kiss on the cheek, then stepped back with a slightly annoyed expression.

"Something wrong?" asked Santa, mischievous look in those dark eyes.

"Of course not," she answered promptly. "What could be wrong with Santa Claus?"

"Indeed. And right now, Santa needs to go finish handing these out," he heaved the sack back onto his shoulder.

"Wait a minute – don't you have anything for Amanda?" Francine asked.

"Of course I do – but I always save the gifts for the nicest boys and girls for last," winked Saint Nick as he walked away and approached another group of people with a loud "ho, ho, ho!"

"Can you figure out who it is?" asked Amanda, still watching him.

"No – I thought getting in close for that kiss would help, but he just smells of cheap aftershave and mothballs – or at least the costume does."

"You know, just for a minute, I was sure it was Lee," Amanda admitted.

"Me too," confirmed Francine. "Four years ago I would have laughed at that idea but you have your own magic, Amanda King – I don't know what you did, but somehow you made it possible to believe that Scrooge could turn into Santa."

Amanda was blushing scarlet now. "He was hardly Scrooge..."

"Well, maybe not," Francine acknowledged. "My vast collection of scarves says there was always some of the young Ebenezer in there."

"I think I've steered him away from those this year," dimpled Amanda.

"Any chance you've steered him toward the jewellery counter?" asked Francine with a pointed look at Amanda's hand.

"I'm pretty sure Lee is allergic to that part of the store," Amanda answered with an innocent air. "I think this year he might have moved on to funny coffee mugs."

Francine stared at her, trying to decide if she was serious, before shaking her head and turning to watch Santa move around the room. It was obvious that everyone was doing what they were doing and trying to figure out who it was, but for now, it seemed that Santa had stumped them all.

"Do you think it's possible we've been infiltrated?" asked Amanda, doubtfully. "Maybe he's a spy."

"Amanda, we're all spies," Francine pointed out.

Amanda gurgled with laughter. "You know what I mean!"

"I do, but no, I don't think he is… there's just something so familiar about him."

"Paul Barnes maybe?"

"No – too tall," Francine answered.

"But he's wearing boots – maybe they have lifts," Amanda commented.

Francine considered that for a moment. "No, his nose is too narrow. You can fake a fatter nose but you can't make a broad one skinny."

"Efraim, then."

"He'd have walked into furniture by now. He can't see without his glasses – and that's a nice pair of wire rims that Santa's wearing but they're nowhere near thick enough for his prescription."

"He could be wearing contact lenses," offered Amanda.

There was a moment of silence, then they both gasped with realization.

"Magda!" they said simultaneously.

They turned to stare at Santa, who was across the bullpen handing out the last of the packages, and had moved perilously close to the mistletoe Leatherneck had hung across the doorway.

"I dare ya," said Francine with a grin.

"Oh no, not me – if it's him, it'll just confirm what everyone in here already thinks," said Amanda wrinkling her nose.

"But what everyone already thinks is _true_ , Amanda!" scoffed Francine.

Amanda turned to gaze at her. "Is it?"

"Well, you're not fooling…" started Francine, then stopped. "Oh. I see what you mean. They all think…"

"That Scarecrow's just whiling away the hours with me? Yes." Amanda looked around the room, then back at her. "You and Billy are probably the only ones who understand him well enough to know that's not true."

"Efraim's onto you too," replied Francine. "But he got to know Lee later than most of them so he's really only seen him post-housewife."

Amanda nodded, then began to grin. "So _I_ can't go over there but _you_ could…"

Francine gave an unladylike snort of glee. "You wouldn't mind?"

"Mind? I'm asking! He thinks he's so smart!" Amanda complained. "Look at him! He thinks he's fooled us – let's torture him just a little bit, make him suffer."

"Well, that's my kind of Christmas spirit! And this is turning into my lucky week for taking men down a peg or two!" Francine caught Amanda's questioning look and went on, "I'll tell you all about my date last night later, but for now, sit back and watch this." She handed Amanda her box of chocolates for safekeeping and set off, sashaying across the room like a lioness after an antelope.

Santa saw her coming and even through the make-up, Amanda had to giggle at the hunted look that came over what little of his face wasn't hidden by beard. She moved up closer so that she could make sure to hear everything that happened.

"You know, I have always had _such_ a thing for older men," cooed Francine, walking her fingers up Santa's chest.

"Really?" asked Santa desperately. "I heard you were pursuing someone younger." There were a few muffled guffaws from those within earshot.

Francine's fingers stilled then twisted themselves in the front of his coat. "Oh no," she said sweetly, but her eyes had hardened. "A younger man has enthusiasm… and imagination… and, unlike an old man like yourself… stamina…"

Santa gulped.

"But there's still a lot to be said for age and experience," Francine continued. "The generosity, the years of practice… and of course, let's not forget familiarity…"

"Familiarity?" croaked Santa, as her hand caressed his thigh and he twisted to get away.

"Well, of course," said Francine with a perfectly arched brow. "Who could be more familiar than Santa? I feel like I've known you for years…" She ran a hand up the side of his face and pushed the fuzzy hat up, just enough to fully reveal his left ear. Amanda stifled a giggle at the sight of that extremely familiar, pointed ear.

" _Elf ears for a jolly old elf"_ she smiled to herself.

"I don't think a nice little girl should be doing what you're doing with that hand right now," said Santa desperately.

"Everyone knows I'm not nice," answered Francine. "Or a _girl_ ," she added forcefully.

"My mistake," squeaked Santa, forgetting to maintain the gruff voice for a moment.

"Oh that wasn't your only mistake," growled Francine. "Look up."

What Santa hadn't realized – but everyone else in the room had - was that Francine had been slowly moving him backward until he was directly under the mistletoe. He looked up as ordered, then back down with an expression of sheer panic.

"Santa Baby," drawled Francine. "I really need to thank you properly for my present, don't you think?" She wrapped her hand around the back of his head and pulled him down forcefully, and pressed her lips against his while he struggled to get away – again, much to the amusement of an attentive audience. When she suddenly finally released him, he staggered back, almost falling onto his backside, but catching himself in time.

Now scarlet, he looked over at Amanda who was watching it all with a wide-eyed look of innocence that he interpreted correctly immediately. He looked back at Francine who was grinning at him with pure glee.

"Why, Santa, I would have thought a man of your years would be a much better kisser," she teased.

Santa shook himself off and rocked on his heels gently. "Well, you know, I'm just out of practice. It's been a long time since I've kissed anyone but Mrs. Claus."

"That would explain it," smirked Francine. "Domesticity ruins all the best men for the rest of us."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," murmured Amanda, lips twitching. There was a bark of laughter from Billy who had walked up behind her and heard the quiet utterance.

"Desmond!" he called. "Release that poor elf and let him get on with his business."

"If I must," she sighed, turning to join Amanda. "Turns out a good man isn't hard to find at all – it's just that they're just so boring when you do find them."

"Oh that reminds me," said Santa, bravely re-entering the fray. "There was one more present for you in the bag."

"For me?" Francine's brows snapped together in confusion.

"For you," confirmed Santa, holding it out, a small narrow box.

"From you?"

"Oh no," smiled Santa. "I just found it in there. I can't imagine who it's from."

Francine took the proffered package suspiciously and slowly unwrapped it, while Amanda crowded in to see. It was a bracelet, silver with lapis lazuli stones that were almost the same color of blue as her eyes.

"I… what?" she stuttered, looking up.

"Very pretty," commented Santa. "Blue and silver and eight jewels? I feel like that must mean something."

Francine looked up to meet his laughing eyes. "How did he do this? He isn't even here."

"I'm guessing he snuck in this morning and put it in with the others," smiled Santa.

"That's the problem with good men," teased Amanda quietly. "They tend to surprise you with not being boring just when you least expect it."

"Well now that you've helped silence Francine so effectively, Santa," laughed Billy, "I have a little something for you, too. But you might want to wait until you get home to open it. You know, back at the North Pole." He handed Santa a slim package and walked away, chuckling.

Santa turned to look at Amanda with a raised brow.

"Nothing to do with me," she said, shrugging. "Maybe it's really a bonus?"

Santa and Francine gave her identical eye rolls.

"What can I say? I'm an optimist," she grinned.

"Well, I guess I better head back to the North Pole and find out for myself," said Santa, tucking it inside his jacket. He turned to Amanda and tapped his lips. "Wanna give Santa a kiss under the mistletoe before I go?"

"Oh no," Amanda shook her head. "I wouldn't want to upset Mrs. Claus. She's probably the one who does all the paperwork and maintains the naughty list, you know."

"You'd be right about that," agreed Santa. "So I guess I should head back to her." He turned to walk out of the bullpen before he heard Amanda call him back.

"Santa?" She tapped her lips and started to smile. "You've got lipstick on your face"

"I do?"

"Mm-hmm. It's really not your color," she went on.

"Well, I'll make sure to deal with that before Mrs. Claus sees me."

"Or the subclauses," cracked Francine. "You wouldn't want to have to explain why it wasn't Mommy kissing Santa Claus."

* * *

Lee was waiting for her in the Q Bureau when she came back upstairs, back in his regular clothes and scrubbed clean of all the make-up as he relaxed in his chair. Amanda marched over and took his chin in her hands, heaving a sigh of relief when beautiful hazel eyes twinkled up at her.

"Thank goodness you took those out," she sighed. "That was _creepy_!"

"Fooled you for a while though, didn't I?" he laughed.

"For longer than you should have," she admitted. "Did Efraim help you?"

Lee tapped the side of his nose and chuckled. "It's always good to have friends with an old career in Fabrications. He was in early dropping off that present for Francine and I press-ganged him into helping me."

"Did he tell you what happened last night?" she asked. "Oh, wait until you hear," she went on when he shook his head. "Francine just told me the whole story."

"Okay, but hang on," said Lee. "We still have that mystery parcel from Billy."

"You didn't open it yet?" she asked in surprise. "I don't think he meant you really had to be at home before you opened it."

"That's not why," said Lee, pulling it across the desk. "I waited because it's addressed to both of us."

"Oh, that's sweet," said Amanda. "Well, I'm here now, go ahead."

"You don't want to do the honors?"

"No, he gave it to you, not me, no matter what it says on the tag," she replied. "Go on." She went to perch on the side of the desk, squealing with amusement when Lee pulled her into his lap instead and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"We can do it together," he said and picked it up to begin pulling off the paper. Inside there was a plain white envelope and with a shrug, Amanda reached for the letter opener and handed it to him, watching as he slid it along the seam and pulled out the papers inside. Lee unfolded them and then they both stiffened, Amanda giving off a small gasp.

"Oh my gosh."

It was their annual security clearances, everything checked off and in order as it always was but with a single glaring amendment, carefully highlighted in bright yellow. Under marital status, in plain print, each sheet now read. "Married February 13, 1987, Marion County Courthouse, Virginia." The Post-it note said "Little Boy Blue-note, please blow your horn and make sure Jack Horner and his Sugar Plum get this registered with Personnel like a good little boy and girl. I wouldn't want to have to put them on the naughty list. A.S."

Lee finally noticed the small card that had fluttered out when he'd pulled out the papers. He flipped it over and read it Billy's handwriting out loud. "Merry Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Stetson."

"Oh my gosh," Amanda repeated.

They turned to stare at each other wordlessly, then back at the paper.

"What do we do now?" whispered Amanda.

Lee continued to stare at the paper, deep in thought. "Well," he said finally. "We fill in the paperwork as ordered and hand it in. It's not like we can hide it now."

"But…"

"Amanda, we weren't going to be able to keep this up indefinitely. Hell, we never meant to keep it up this long," said Lee, firmly. "We've been busted – now we face the music."

"Do you think Billy's mad?" she asked, tracing her finger along the card.

"I doubt it – if he was mad, he'd have hauled us up on the carpet, not wished us a Merry Christmas," said Lee, reasonably. "But it probably couldn't hurt to drop by and visit him and Jeanie over the weekend – away from all the ears in this place."

"Yeah," she agreed. "And then what?" She twisted in his lap to rest her forehead against his. "We've been getting a lot of hints from my family…"

"I know," Lee sighed. "And I hate lying to them."

Amanda gurgles with laughter. "Hey, that's _my_ line!"

Lee chuckled and pulled her in for a kiss. "Maybe you can take over mine then: "we're not involved!""

"We're not?" she teased.

"We're not," he replied. "We're intertwined, in sync, incredible…"

"In love?" Amanda added.

"In love," Lee agreed. "And it's time we make that clear to everyone."

"I like that idea," she said, softly.

"Me too." He swung his chair sideways and gave her a push off his lap, then stood up too. "And we have all of Christmas to figure it out. But right now, we have people waiting for us. Let's go home."

Amanda reached up and cupped his cheek. "I love to hear you say 'home', you know that?"

"I like saying it – never had one until I met you, not one I could remember anyway," he answered, kissing her again. "Come on, Mrs. Stetson – we have some new traditions to start."


	24. Oh Deer!

**A/N:** I usually try not to have to send people to read my other stores, but it's Christmas and rules are meant to be broken... This story will make a lot more sense if you're read my story"Enchanted to Meet You" but you might be able to muddle through without as long as you've ever seen an episode of "Bewitched."

* * *

"Well, at least for once we'll be at home early on Christmas Eve," commented Amanda as they walked out of the Agency lobby and onto the street.

"Especially since I may or may not have promised that to your mother as one of her presents," admitted Lee.

"You did? With our track record?" Amanda laughed. "You like living dangerously or something?"

"Oh come on, you haven't been late _every_ year since we met!" he protested with a grin.

"We're two for four," she commented. "Let's not make it three for five. Are you coming straight back to the house or are you going home first? And what time does your uncle's flight land?"

"Amanda, are you sure the family is really okay with me staying the night?"

"Oh Sweetheart, that ship has sailed and you know it! Mother even picked you up a toothbrush when she went shopping this week."

"Well, then I don't need anything from my place – I have an overnight bag in the car along with the boys' presents and my uncle said he'd grab a cab from the airport to your house when he landed. He didn't want me to hang around waiting on Christmas Eve in case there were any flight delays."

They climbed into their separate cars, Amanda pulling out first and heading for Arlington, Lee following behind. They were almost out of Georgetown, when Amanda's brake lights came on and she pulled over abruptly beside a park, climbing out and staring along the half-lit paths. Lee pulled in behind her and sprang out.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I thought I saw something… There!" she pointed into the shadows and plunged off with no further explanation.

"Amanda!" Lee expostulated. "What are you...? What did you see?" He chased after her as she melded into the shadows.

He thought he'd lost her but then rounding a thick stand of leafless shrubs, he found her again, hand on her hips surveying… well, that didn't make any sense. There was the back end of a person, a person whose front end was deep in the bushes.

"Agent Stephens, what on earth are you doing?" demanded Amanda.

Tabitha Stephens, one of last year's Agency recruits, jumped at the sound of Amanda's voice and whirled around with a squeak, followed by a look of relief. "My goodness, you need to learn not sneak up on people like that, Mrs. King!"

"I'm hardly sneaking," said Amanda, "although I'm not sure I can say the same about you. What are you doing to that poor bush?"

"I'm, um, trying to catch something," replied Tabitha.

"A cold?" asked Lee, rubbing his hands together to ward off the freezing December air.

"No," answered Tabitha, laughing a little. "Actually, it's… well, this is going to seem hard to believe…"

"Try me," said Amanda. "Because when you ran across the road in front of me just now, it looked a lot like…"

"Got her!" yelled a new voice from somewhere inside the shrubs. This was followed by a lot of crashing sounds, an odd animal-like bellow, and then the emergence – backwards – of someone obviously fighting to pull something out with him.

"Leatherneck?" said Lee in shock.

Leatherneck looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. "Oh hi, Ace. Good timing – come and grab an antler for me."

"Come and grab a what?" repeated Lee, slack-jawed.

Leatherneck gave another heave, and what was unmistakeably a reindeer's head came out from between the branches, grunting and fighting to get free.

"An antler! An antler!" gasped Leatherneck. "And hurry up! I'm losing my grip." No sooner had he said the words, then the reindeer shook herself loose and took off galloping across the park.

"Dang it," said Leatherneck with disappointment. "I thought for sure I had her that time."

"Can someone please explain what the shell is going on?" Lee paused – he was sure he'd just tried to say 'hell' but had no idea why it hadn't come out that way.

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Leatherneck with rolling eyes. "We're trying to lasso that critter over there and get her home. Oh no," he went on, truly exasperated now. "That is going to make this so much harder."

Lee and Amanda turned to where he was looking and simultaneously both shook their heads to try and clear their vision. The reindeer had stopped running, not too far away, but was now perched on a branch halfway up a hundred-year old oak tree, nibbling on the few remaining leaves and staring down at them with what Lee could only describe as an "I dare ya" expression.

"That's a reindeer," Lee stated. "In a tree."

"Yep," said Leatherneck, with absolutely no surprise in his tone. "That's the problem with them being able to fly."

"Able to fly?" asked Amanda. "Reindeer can't fly."

"Well, no, not all of them," commented Tabitha in an offhand voice as she gazed up at the ornery ungulate. "But Santa's can."

"Santa's can," repeated Lee. "Of course, what were we thinking?" he added sarcastically.

"Don't you believe in Santa?" Leatherneck turned and looked at him incredulously.

"I'm an adult – of course I don't believe in Santa," replied Lee, taken aback by his friend's expression.

"But you have, you know…" Leatherneck gestured with both hands toward Lee.

"I have… what?" asked Lee.

"Magic," said Leatherneck. He tilted his head and gazed at Lee. "Didn't you know that?"

"Okay, cut this out," said Lee, sternly. "You're all acting crazy and pretending it's perfectly normal to be running around in a park trying to catch a reindeer who's up a golf club tree!" He stopped and tried again for 'Goddamn'. "Not golf club! Golf club!"

"Sorry Mr. Stetson, but you can't swear around one of Santa's reindeer," said Tabitha gently. "Especially on Christmas Eve." She grinned a bit at his glare and turned to Leatherneck. "That's not his own magic, it's a keepsafe spell that was given to him," she explained.

"Are you sure?" asked Leatherneck doubtfully. "It's really strong."

"Oh yes," said Tabitha. "I'd recognize it anywhere – in fact, it's from my -"

"There you are, Sweetheart! Do you need help?" interrupted a woman's voice.

Lee turned at the sound of the familiar endearment. "No I don't need help but these two-" He stopped dead, looking at a woman with honey-gold hair and deep green eyes who was smiling at him and who was _so_ familiar even though he was sure he'd never met her.

"Oh Mom! Thank goodness you're here!" Tabitha was saying. "Lucy's up a tree and I haven't the faintest idea how we're going to get her to come down."

"Lucy?" repeated Amanda. "The reindeer is named Lucy? I thought I knew all of the reindeer names but not that one."

"Well, it's Lucasta really," explained Tabitha. "But we just call her Lucy. She's Blitzen's great-great-granddaughter." She turned back to the newest arrival. "Mom, this is Amanda King and Lee Stetson – although I think you might have met him before?" she added with an impish expression. "This is my mother, Samantha Stephens."

Samantha held out a hand to Amanda. "It's such a pleasure to finally meet you, Amanda. Tabitha talks about you two all the time. You're her heroes."

"Mom!"

Samantha ignored her daughter's exasperated comment and turned to Lee. "And Lee – it's been a long time."

"Have we met?" he asked stupidly – confused by that intense feeling of familiarity but unable to place her. If she was old enough to be Tabitha's mother, she must be at least fifteen years older than him, but that wasn't possible - she didn't look a day over thirty. He realized Amanda was watching them with a raised brow and – thankfully – an amused expression.

"We have, but it was a very long time ago," replied Samantha. "You helped my Aunt Clara once when she'd gotten lost. You kept her safe for me."

The memories started tingling at the back of Lee's brain. "But… that's impossible! That was thirty years ago! I was seven and you were…"

Samantha beamed at him. "See? You do remember!"

"No – that was a dream I had when I was little. You look exactly like the woman in my dream but she told me she was…a witch," He trailed off, staring at her. "That's impossible," he said again.

"A witch?" asked Tabitha. "Mom, did you really tell him the truth?"

"He was very small," explained Samantha. "And he needed help."

"Oh! Well, that explains the whole aura thing," said Leatherneck. "Boy, Ace – I always wondered why you rejected the whole Christmas spirit for so long, but I guess if you didn't know you had magic yourself..."

"Does he?" asked Amanda, looking at Lee critically. "I always just thought it was charm and luck, but that make so much more sense."

"It's second-hand magic but he does. I gave him a keepsafe spell that day we met," said Samantha. "It was only supposed to keep him safe until he met the person who would take over that job." She tilted her head and studied Lee. "But it looks like that actually just enhanced the magic. How interesting."

"You mean, meeting Amanda made it stronger?" asked Leatherneck. "Cool."

"It would explain why I can see it so clearly," added Tabitha. "And it also explains so much about how you two can always solve the most difficult cases."

"And here I thought we were just really good at it," said Amanda with a smile.

"Oh you are! The magic doesn't solve the cases," explained Tabitha seriously. "But the magic of you together – that absolutely helps."

"ALL OF YOU! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" bellowed Lee. "Stop with the magic and the witches and the spells and the Santa's reindeer nonsense! You know that's just crazy!"

"But Lee, there's a reindeer in a tree," Amanda reminded him. "How else do you explain that?"

Lee glared up at the reindeer who was now giving him side-eye from its perch. "Well, obviously…. It just… jumped," he said, uncertainly.

"Oh Sweetheart…"Amanda murmured, under her breath.

"Okay fine!" he turned and glared with an exasperated expression at the quartet facing him. "One of Santa's reindeer is up a tree. What are you going to do about it?"

"Well we can't do a lot about it for now except try and talk her down," said Leatherneck. "There's a kind of rule about using magic on Christmas Eve – everyone agrees not to use any extra so that Santa can have it all in order to get all his rounds done in the one night."

"Of course – there's a rule," said Lee, rolling his eyes. "What was I thinking?" He narrowed his gaze and looked at Leatherneck. "Wait a minute – what are you doing here anyway?"

Leatherneck shifted uncomfortably. "Well, Tabitha came and asked for help, and of course, I couldn't refuse because, well, I mean, who else in Washington is going to be able to track a magic reindeer except an elf?"

"An elf?" asked Amanda, wide-eyed. "You're an _elf_?"

"Half-elf," said Leatherneck, squirming slightly. "On my mother's side." He could see the look of disbelief on his friends' faces. "My father was working on an oil rig near Alaska and he met my mother when she was in Anchorage on a day trip from the North Pole and it was love at first sight. She gave up being an elf and moved down south with him. It's why I'm so good with cars and stuff – remember when I told you I can run a hand over a car and know what's wrong with it? That's my elf magic."

"Elf magic," repeated Lee, running a hand over his face. "Of course."

"And because I'm half mortal, most of my magic is mechanical, but I still have the whole reindeer thing going on, because all elves do," said Leatherneck, with a shrug. "Not that it's doing me any good now, since she's way up there. Unlike reindeer, elves can't fly."

"What is she even doing here anyway?" asked Amanda. "Did she come loose from the sleigh or something?"

Lee looked at his wife incredulously at the way she could ask that with compete seriousness.

"Oh no, Santa still uses the original girls," answered Tabitha. "Lucy just got loose from the barn, tried to follow the sleigh and got lost. Mrs. Claus sent out an SOS on the Northern Lights line and everyone's been trying to find her."

"Well, if you can't use magic, how will you get her home?" Amanda continued. "Do you have to keep her until tomorrow? If you can catch her, I mean?"

"No – we just have to get her somewhere on Santa's path tonight and he'll collect her," explained Leatherneck.

"But first we have to get her down," said Samantha.

"So does one of us have to climb up there and get her?" asked Lee, eyeing the tree. He'd given up on even fighting the crazy – it was easier to just go along with it at this point.

"It would be easier if we could just get her to come down by herself," sighed Tabitha. "But I don't know how we talk her into that."

"My mare used to come for sugar cubes," said Lee. "But I don't suppose that works with reindeer – not that we have any of those handy anyway."

"Pity – that might have worked," commented Leatherneck, sadly.

"What about candy canes?" asked Amanda tentatively. "Do reindeer like those? Because I have some in my purse."

She paused as the three immortals swivelled to stare at her.

"That's perfect!" beamed Tabitha.

"Mother magic," muttered Leatherneck.

"Wait – is that why I always have just what we need in my purse?" asked Amanda. "Because of magic?"

"Oh no, that's just being a mom," laughed Samantha. "But you two are probably luckier that way more than most people!"

"So… candy canes?" Lee interrupted them. "That'll work?"

"Let's find out," said Amanda, turning and hurrying back to the Jeep to grab her purse.

Lee watched her go, then turned to stare at Leatherneck. "An elf. You're an honest-to-God elf."

"Half elf," Leatherneck corrected him with a snaggle-toothed grin. "If I was full elf, I wouldn't be this tall."

Lee couldn't help grinning back at him "You think you're tall?"

"Hey, you can just quit it with your tall-ist insults, Ace," grumbled Leatherneck good-naturedly. "Or I might just lose my magic touch with your cars."

Lee held up his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry! No more height jokes, I swear!" He pursed his lips and looked at the mechanic with another smile. "Is that why you can't go up the tree after her? It's against the Occupational Elfin Safety rules?"

Leatherneck grinned and shook a finger at him. "Just keep it up, Scarecrow, I can still get you put on the naughty list, you know. Ma can pull strings… and you could end up transferred to the Agency office on the Island of Misfit Toys."

Lee laughed and turned to greet Amanda as she returned, clutching a handful of red and white striped candy canes. "Amanda King - saving the day as usual!"

Amanda returned his smile, then turned to hold them out to Leatherneck. "Will these do?"

"They will," he answered. "But not for me. She's still mad at me after that last little wrestling match. How about you try?"

"Me? Why would she come to me?" Amanda looked doubtful.

"Lots of reasons," answered Samantha. "Reindeer gravitate toward especially nice people and you have that whole motherhood thing too." She pushed Amanda into place. "Just hold out a candy cane and tell her she has to come down."

Amanda looked at her askance for a moment then shrugged and held out the candy cane. "Lucy? Please come down from there."

The reindeer ducked its head and eyed the candy, but stayed put.

"Try pretending she's one of the boys," muttered Lee. "Be a mom."

Amanda nodded, then put her hands on her hips and tried again. "You get down out of that tree this instant, Young Lady!" she said firmly. "What would your mother say if she could see you right now?"

Lucy shifted on the branch and gave a sad little chirp.

"You got up there. You can get down!" said Leatherneck. "Come on, Darlin'!"

Another sad little chirp came from the tree.

"Lucy, please? You're frightening me – it can't be safe way up there," coaxed Amanda.

They held their breath as Lucy tensed, then let it out with a whoosh as she leapt gracefully from her branch and floated down to land beside them.

"Good girl," murmured Amanda, holding out the candy cane and letting her nibble at it gently. "That's much better." She reached out and scratched the deer behind her ear, which seemed to please Lucy very much as she leaned into it with a happy rumble and began to glow slightly.

"Now what?" said Lee. "Won't she just take off again?"

"I doubt it - that glow means she just spirit-bonded with Amanda but just in case, it's a good thing you've always given us scarves," laughed Leatherneck. "Amanda, can I borrow yours?" Amanda pulled it off and handed it to him. He knotted it together with his and then wrapped it around Lucy's neck as a leash of sorts. "Okay, now we just have to get her somewhere Santa will see her."

"How about the light display near Amanda's house?" suggested Lee. "We can hide in the dark part of the park so no one asked what we're doing with a reindeer and Santa will definitely go near there, with all the kids in that neighborhood."

"Perfect!" beamed Tabitha. Then her face fell. "But how do we get her there? It's too far to walk and people would see us. If it was any other day of the year, we could just magic her over there, but the rules…"

"She's pretty small," commented Amanda. "We could just put her in the back of the Jeep."

"That'll work," agreed Leatherneck. "She's only about as big as a Great Dane."

"Are you sure, Sweetheart? What if she's not house-trained and leaves a deposit of reindeer ship?" Lee rolled his eyes again at his inability to swear in front of the deer.

"It'll be fine," said Amanda, lips twitching at his frustration. "Thanks heavens I got another wagon. Can you imagine trying to get her into the Corvette?"

They walked Lucy to the Wagoneer and waited for Amanda to open the back. "Now how…?" she started to ask but before she could get any further, Lee had simply wrapped his arms around the reindeer and lifted her bodily into the car, then closed the door behind her.

"Did some steer wrestling when you were young, did ya, Ace?" laughed Leatherneck.

"Calf roping actually," Lee grinned back at him. "She's not much bigger than them. Although at least calves didn't have antlers." He peered in at the reindeer who was peering back out at him with a mystified expression at finding herself in a car. "Did you say Santa's reindeer are female?" he asked Tabitha.

"Oh yes," she nodded. "You can tell because the males lose their antlers in the winter – Santa's always used females. Well, except Rudolph of course, but he's the exception," she added seriously.

"Oh!" they all turned at Amanda's soft exclamation. "What time does Santa get here?'

"Usually around midnight," said Samantha. "Is that going to be too late?"

Amanda gave a quiet groan. "Mother is never going to believe why we were late on Christmas Eve _again_!"

* * *

Lee had just about started to think the whole thing was a convoluted practical joke by 11 o'clock. Samantha and Tabitha had gone to fetch them all hot chocolate from an all-night diner and Leatherneck had regaled them with stories about growing up in Oklahoma with an elf for a mother – stories that Lee was getting more and more convinced were fairy tales of a different kind. Lucy was out of the Jeep, pawing through the snow of the park near Amanda's house and grazing on the brown grass underneath. Amanda was holding onto the scarf leash, talking to Lucy quietly as Lee watched fondly. Leatherneck was right, the reindeer was definitely sticking close to her – she really did give off some innate goodness that attracted its own magic.

"How's your uncle?" asked Samantha, suddenly appearing at his elbow, making Lee jump.

"Oh! I forgot you met him. He's good," answered Lee. He slapped his forehead, and looked horrified. "And he's probably at Amanda's right now, wondering where the shell we are." He looked at Samantha apologetically. "I mean, he's probably worried – I completely forgot he was coming for Christmas Eve dinner as well. Amanda phoned her mother and told her some tale or other but he'll think we're doing something dangerous."

"Well, don't worry too much. Santa will help out with that, I bet," said Samantha with a warm smile. "But you're close? He still worries about you? He was just about out of his mind with worry that day we met, when he thought he'd lost you."

"Well, we butted heads for a lot of years," conceded Lee. "But it's better now. She made it better now," he nodded toward Amanda.

"Of course she did," agreed Samantha. "She has the knack."

Lee gave her a sideways look. "Is that yet another way to say magic?"

"No," laughed Samantha, "She's just nice. It enhances everything around her. Even other's people magic." Her emerald eyes gleamed in the moonlight. "Just how often has she saved you from something? Because the spell I gave you is much stronger now than it should be – it's like it's been reinforced."

"Oh, more times than I can count," he admitted. "She's pulled my tail out of a lot of jams." He paused. "Not all of them physical."

"Ah – that explains it," Samantha smiled. "You can't beat true love- it has a magic all its own."

"It sure does," agreed Lee. "But if you'd told me that a few years ago…" He shook his head, then stopped dead, cocking it. "Do you hear that?"

Everyone else had also stopped to listen – it was the faintest silvery sound… Bells, thought Lee and in that same instant, there was a flash and suddenly a sleigh was skidding to a stop in front of them.

Lucy tugged free from Amanda and ran over to bump noses with the deer who were stamping and prancing and blowing out steamy breaths.

"Now, what's all this then?" asked a hearty laughing voice. "Lucy! How did you get here?"

Lee – who really hadn't believed any of this, not _really_ , up until this moment, watched slack-jawed as someone who was absolutely, _definitely_ Santa Claus hopped out of the sleigh and went to greet Lucy, who was nuzzling his coat and lipping at his hand.

Santa gave her a head rub, then turned to the collection of people watching him. "Samantha! Oh it's been far too long! And here's little Tabitha with you!"

"Not so little anymore, Santa!" laughed Tabitha leaning in to give him a hug.

"And who else is here? Bosworth, is that you? What are you doing here when you should be home with your mother for Christmas?"

"Bosworth?" chortled Lee. "Your real name is _Bosworth_?"

"You tell anyone at work, and the Corvette gets it," threatened Leatherneck, _sotto voce,_ as he stepped forward to take Santa's outstretched hand. "I couldn't get home this year, Santa," he went on more loudly. "It was a little too far to go when I had to work today."

"Well, you can catch a ride with me, if you want," winked Santa. "I like to stay on your mother's good side, you know. She still sends me gingerbread cookies every year, regular as clockwork."

Leatherneck's face had lit up. "Can I really? Ma would be so surprised!"

"Of course you can – it looks like I'm going to need someone to hold onto Lucy and keep her from wandering off again," laughed Santa, heartily. He turned to look at the last two people, who were both staring with open mouths and wide eyes. Santa gave a deep rolling laugh.

"Well, well – if it isn't Lee and Amanda Stetson! I should have known you two would be mixed up in this!"

Tabitha and Leatherneck exchanged an amused look.

"Did you say Amanda _Stetson_?" said Leatherneck. "Would you two like to share something with the class?"

"I don't know, _Bosworth_ , would I?" asked Lee in a mock threatening tone.

"Your secret is safe with me, Ace," drawled Leatherneck, chuckling.

"With me too" smiled Tabitha. "Witches are good at keeping secrets, after all." She turned to her mother. "We should get going – Daddy and Adam must be wondering where we are."

"I left a note," said her mother. "And let's face it, they're used to it. But maybe…?" she looked at Santa, question on her face.

"Go ahead," he smiled. "I'm over halfway done and I'll have Bosworth along for an added boost. A little more time-twisting won't hurt at this point."

"Merry Christmas, Santa," said Samantha, leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek. "All the best to Mrs. Claus." She held a hand out to Tabitha. "Ready, Sweetheart?" Tabitha nodded. "Good bye everyone! Have a wonderful Christmas!"

And with a twitch of the lips and a wrinkled nose, the two women vanished in the blink of an eye.

"You two should be getting home too," twinkled Santa. "I know you have people waiting."

"Probably very angry people," groaned Amanda. "My mother is going to kill us. It's the middle of the night and we were supposed to be home for dinner."

"And my uncle," added Lee. "They've probably spent the evening discussing all the ways we've let them down and formed a united front of disapproval," he sighed.

"I think you might be surprised," said Santa cheerfully. "You two head home – we can take it from here."

Amanda crouched down to look Lucy in the eye. "Now you behave for Santa, you hear me?"

Lee would swear the reindeer nodded.

"Come on, Amanda – let's go face the music." He held out his hand, grinning at the familiar tingle of joy that warmed him when she took it, smiling up at him with love in her eyes.

"Merry Christmas, Santa," she said, turning to the man in the red suit. She gave a breathless laugh. "I can't believe I just met Santa Claus!"

"Well, I can't believe I just met Amanda Stetson," laughed Santa. "Merry Christmas, M'dear. You too, Lee! Now scoot! I have places to be and so do you!" He turned to the sleigh where Leatherneck and Lucy were now perched on top of a pile of gifts. "Ready?" he asked, climbing in and picking up the reins. With a final wink and a hearty laugh, he…vanished.

Lee and Amanda stared into the empty space where the sleigh had been just a second before and blinked.

"Did that really just happen?" asked Lee.

"We both saw that, right?" asked Amanda at the same time.

"Come on, let's go home," laughed Lee. "I think I need a good stiff drink."

* * *

A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of the house, Amanda in the driveway, Lee along the curb. He stepped out and met her halfway along the path to the door. She put a hand on his arm and looked around.

"This is really weird," she said. "It looks like everyone on the street is still up."

Lee glanced around and realized she was right – every house still had all its lights on. "You're right, that is weird. Is it just because it's Christmas Eve or do you think something happened and we missed it?"

"Well, we usually never miss anything like that," she laughed.

The front door flew open. "Oh Amanda, there you are! I was starting to get worried!"

"I'm so sorry, Mother – we got caught up in helping a couple of people from work…" Amanda began to explain.

"Oh, don't even think about bring your work home for the holidays!" scolded Dotty. "Now you get in here, and we can get the final parts of dinner done!"

"The final parts…?" echoed Amanda, following her inside. "Did you hold back dinner for us all this time?"

"Not really – I just figured with your track record you'd be running behind," said Dotty over her shoulder. "So we delayed a little. It didn't matter that it's late when the boys are out with Joe and Carrie anyway. And good thing too, your uncle Robert called to say he's only just on his way from the airport now."

"Was his flight delayed?" asked Lee, confused by how calm Dotty was.

"Oh no, it was on time – he just wanted to confirm that he should come straight here," replied Dotty, moving a pot onto a burner and turning to the oven to check the roast. Nodding with satisfaction, she turned to pour out glasses of wine and handed them to Lee and Amanda. "I think we should have a toast – to you two finally managing to get home for Christmas on time for once!"

"On time? Mother, it's past-" Amanda started to say until Lee grabbed her arm and pointed at the television.

"Good evening, and welcome to the 6 o'clock news," intoned the anchorman. "Let's begin with wishing all our viewers a very merry Christmas Eve!"

Lee and Amanda both lifted their wrists to stare at their watches, then at each other.

"Six o'clock? That's impossible," whispered Amanda. "We were out there for hours!"

"Out where, Darling?" asked Dotty.

"Out helping those friends," said Lee, craning to check the clock on the oven and shaking his head in disbelief. "But I guess it wasn't as long as we thought?"

"Oh, time is just different on Christmas Eve, I think," said Dotty. "When I was a child, it seemed to drag on forever because I was waiting for Christmas and now that I'm older, it just flies by! Must be magic," she laughed, turning back to the stove. "I mean, how else does Santa get all that done in one night?"

"Magic!" they answered her in unison and began to laugh.

The doorbell rang, followed immediately by the front door opening and Robert Clayton sticking his head in. "Merry Christmas, everyone! My Lord, that was the fastest cab ride I can remember – he wasn't speeding but according to my watch, he got here all the way from National in less than a minute! The Air Force should figure out how to bottle that for our jets!"

He was still taking his coat off when Amanda reached him first, tipping up to give him a kiss on the cheek. "It's Christmas," she said, smiling brightly. "We were just talking about how time behaves differently tonight." She took his coat to hang it up as Lee held out his hand to shake his uncle's firmly.

"Merry Christmas, Sir. Glad you could make it."

"Merry Christmas, Son." His uncle grasped his shoulder with his spare hand and squeezed it. "I'm glad I could be here."

"Now that's what I like to find under my Christmas tree," said Aunt Lillian coming down the stairs. "A house full of handsome men!" She stopped on the small landing and crooked a finger at Colonel Clayton. "You must be this rascal's uncle – come along and tell me all about his misspent youth – and I'll tell you all about his misspent night here last week."

"How much time have you got?" The Colonel laughed over his shoulder at Lee and Amanda. "Just covering his teenage years could take a while!"

Amanda stepped into Lee's arms, wrapping her own around his waist and smiling at him. "You know, Sweetheart, I think this just might be my favorite Christmas ever!"

"It's definitely my weirdest," said Lee, dimpling. "Santa, elves, and reindeer - if this is a hallucination…"

"It's the best one yet," finished Amanda with a deep chuckle, pulling him down for a long kiss. "Merry Christmas, Lee."

"Merry Christmas, Amanda."


	25. I'll be home for Christmas

Lee leaned back in the armchair, legs stretched out in front of him, coffee cup balanced on his chest and surveyed the room through half-lidded eyes. He was blissfully full of turkey, sweet potatoes and something he couldn't quite place for a moment. He let his eyes drift around the room, Joe and Carrie at the kitchen table playing Trivial Pursuit with the boys and beating them mercilessly despite Curt hanging over them and whispering the more obscure answers; Lillian, Dotty and the Colonel raucously comparing favorite old movie stars; Amanda deftly moving among them, topping up coffee cups and contributing to each conversation as she passed. That's when it hit him - that thing he couldn't place was contentment.

"You did good, Scarecrow."

He looked to his right; Francine was lounging in a chair beside him – she'd obviously been watching the rest of the room as well.

"I did?"

"Did you ever imagine yourself like this?" she asked, waving her hand gently at the noisy crowd. "Sitting in the middle of a Norman Rockwell Christmas cover?"

Lee's lips twitched. "There may possibly have been a time I thought this was the definition of Hell."

"And I would have been there, right alongside you," agreed Francine, grinning.

"Would have been? Not anymore?" he asked.

"Well, I can see the charm now, and while this still isn't what _I'd_ want, it looks like it suits you down to the ground," she replied.

Lee looked around, unable to keep from grinning. "I wouldn't have believed that a few years ago, but you know what? It does."

"So what is it about all this that appeals to you? The noise? The crowd? The nosy older relatives?" she asked archly, then dropped her voice. "The generosity and stamina of the American housewife?"

Lee leaned in and looked her right in the eye, dimples on full display. "Yes."

Francine couldn't keep a straight face any longer and burst out laughing.

"You never thought about anything like this?" he asked, honestly curious.

"Not really, no." She stopped and reflected on that for a moment. "I mean, I had a lot of fun with Efraim's family the other night and today's been great but I couldn't do this all the time – I like my quiet, and not having to answer to anyone."

"Well, it's not like this all the time," said Lee, seriously. "Mostly it's just…us."

"Us?" she echoed quizzically, reaching out to pat his hand. "That sounds so _cozy_."

"What he's not telling you is how he hides at his apartment when he can't take it anymore," Amanda leaned in conspiratorially as she caught the tail end of the conversation.

"One time," Lee said defensively. "I hid out one time!"

"For a whole weekend," Amanda added, with a wink at Francine.

Francine looked back and forth between the partners. "And you weren't mad?"

"Only that he hadn't asked me along," chuckled Amanda.

"Well, if I'd invited you along, I wouldn't have been alone, would I?"

"That's true," said Amanda, eyes twinkling. "And to think people always forget that the Scarecrow actually had brains all along." She ruffled his hair, then moved off to clear some of the dessert plates that were scattered around the room.

Francine watched as Lee's eyes followed her automatically. "You should marry that woman."

His eyes shifted from Amanda to meet hers. "I did."

Lee was no fool – he knew that if Billy and Dr. Smyth knew, it was only a matter of time after the holidays before Francine knew too. But if he'd thought he was going to get a reaction to that though, he couldn't have been more wrong.

"Yeah, I thought you might have," said Francine. She couldn't help smiling at way his mouth fell open. "After California, you were…" She turned to watch Amanda flit around the room – happy and healthy now, but nonetheless changed from the woman she'd been before that day. "Different," she finished. "It seemed kind of inevitable after that. But I still wish I'd seen it."

Lee stood up and gestured to the front hall. "Come and get some fresh air."

Francine stood up and followed him as he grabbed their coats and called out, "Amanda, we're going to go walk off some of that dinner. Wanna come?"

Amanda glanced between the two of them, reading the body language there. "No, you two go along. I'll put on fresh coffee for when you get home."

Lee helped Francine on with her coat, then led her out the front door. By some kind of agreement, they didn't speak for the first few minutes, almost as if they both wanted to be sure to be far away from any possibility of being overheard.

"That's not why we got married," said Lee finally.

"No?"

"I didn't marry her out of pity or whatever it is you're thinking." He chanced a look at Francine as she trudged along beside him through the light skiff of fresh-fallen snow, watching her eyes narrow as she considered that. "We were married before we went to California."

Her head swivelled, her eyes lifting to meet his. "Before you left?"

Lee nodded. Francine turned her face back to stare straight ahead.

"I'm oddly relieved to hear that," she laughed. "It's better knowing you didn't finally get married for such a terrible reason. So how come you're telling me now?"

"Dr. Smyth found out. We're going to have to come clean – and I didn't want you to find out from anyone else." he admitted. At her intake of breath, he rushed on. "I'm sorry."

"As you should be. You should have known I'd keep that secret for you." She let that sink in for a moment before adding, "But I think I get it. When I see you back there…" she pointed her thumb over her shoulder back at the house. "That's a pretty tangled web you two have built yourself, but when I said you were different now, I didn't mean that was a bad thing."

"No?"

"No." She slipped her arm through his and tugged him in close to her side. "It suits you."

"I thought you'd be mad at us." He still wounded worried.

"Lee, I've been walking in on you two in compromising positions for _years_ – did you honestly think I was going to faint away from shock at finding out you're married? And like I said, you did good." She gave a little laugh. "So that time I told you I couldn't let you be normal? I was already too late, wasn't I?"

"Kinda – we'd been married a couple of months by then," he grinned down at her and watched her face light up with laughter.

They reached the corner and turned to continue around the block. The two friends strolled in companionable silence for most of it but when Lee unconsciously picked up his pace as they got closer to the house, Francine started to laugh. Lee looked at her as she stopped and beamed up at him.

"Just look at you, Scarecrow! There's no place like home!" she crowed, clicking her heels together.

Lee had to laugh along with her, even as he gazed at 4247. The lights he'd helped put up were twinkling gently in the dusk and every window was lit up with a warm glow that reflected the warmth he knew was waiting for them inside. "No, there isn't," he agreed.

* * *

Much later, long after everyone had left, Lee and Amanda were curled up in a family room armchair, enjoying the peace and quiet. Francine had offered to take the Colonel and drop him at the Officer's Club where he was staying - despite Lee's protests about having room at the apartment - and Dotty and Lillian had long since gone to bed, but the boys were flaked out on the sofa where they'd fallen asleep in the middle of a movie marathon.

"That was a good day," said Lee, tired contentment audible in his voice. "Thank you."

Amanda lifted her head from where it had been tucked into his collarbone and looked at him with surprise. "What are you thanking me for?"

"I don't know – for making it so nice, I guess. I mean, this year… it's different. I feel like I belonged."

"Lee Stetson!' Amanda slapped his chest lightly with mock outrage. "You have always _belonged_." She pressed back into him and nuzzled his cheek. "To be specific, you belong to me."

"Ditto," he smiled and turned his head to take her lips with his.

Several languorous kisses later, Amanda snuggled back into his body with a happy sigh. Lee knew she was perilously close to falling asleep in his arms, and that he should probably make a move to rouse the boys as well, but for now, just for now, he looked around the room, reflecting on that wave of contentment that had hit him earlier.

He hadn't been entirely truthful earlier when he'd told Francine this had once been his idea of hell. He'd spent more Christmases than not feeling a little bit like the Little Match Girl: on the outside, looking in – but he'd never lost that echo of a happy family buried somewhere deep inside. He could still remember that insane moment on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial years ago when Amanda had asked him if he had anywhere to go for Thanksgiving and he'd wanted – just for a moment, but a moment nonetheless – wanted so badly to say he didn't and take up whatever invitation would have inevitably followed.

" _What if I had?"_ he found himself thinking, looking around the quiet room. " _Would we still have ended up here?_ " He laughed softly into Amanda's hair. " _Not a chance_."

He remembered what he'd been like back then – if Dotty and the boys had met _that_ Lee Stetson, he'd have been politely tolerated for the duration of the meal and then gently deposited back into his old life never to be seen again and spoken of only as a bad memory.

" _Oh Amanda, remember that time years ago you brought home that awful man you'd helped from being mugged? So good looking but so rude! What were you thinking?"_

" _I don't know Mother. I was just being polite – I never thought he'd take me up on it."_

" _Well, at least he didn't like Dean either – boy, you sure could pick 'em, Mom…"_

He chuckled out loud again, this time loud enough to make Amanda lift her head and smile sleepily at him.

"What are you so happy about?" she smiled, running a fingertip along the dimple in his cheek.

"That I didn't come home for Thanksgiving that first time you invited me," he answered and watched her face light up with laughter. It didn't even surprise him anymore that she'd instantly understood what he meant.

"Can you imagine?" she said. "Mother wouldn't have known what to do with herself with the old Scarecrow."

"I bet I wouldn't have been shanghai'd into protective detail on a shopping trip," he chuckled.

"You might have," she teased. "Mother does like having a big strong man on her arm. Just like me," she went on, interspersing her words with light kisses. She paused and gurgled with laughter. "I'm glad you had a good Christmas – remember last year when you thought everyone would wonder what you were doing here? And just look at you now – this year they'd all have been upset if you hadn't been here."

"Well, that's all you."

"No, it's all you," she said, poking him in the chest before snuggling into him again. "It's not like I could force them to like you, but they do - and now it wouldn't be the same without you."

Lee looked around – at the tree he'd helped cut down and decorate, at the figurine of lovers he'd picked out knowing it would make Amanda give that long low laugh of pleasure, at the Santa photo the boys had blackmailed him into… She was right - somehow, without Amanda doing a thing except love and encourage him, somehow he'd been woven into the fabric of their Christmas traditions just as Dotty had told him would happen.

He looked over at the boys who were dozing three feet away, mouths slightly open and looking much younger than they did when they were awake. The rush of fierce protective emotion surprised him just as it did every time. He wanted to belong here, he wanted to be here, he wanted… _this_.

When Amanda yawned again, Lee sighed. "I should head home," he murmured against her cheek.

"Don't be silly," she said, half-asleep already. "You are home."


End file.
